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A Lipid Extraction and Analysis Method for Characterizing Soil Microbes in Experiments with Many Samples
Published on: July 16, 2017
ETBE (ethyl tert butyl ether) and TAME (tert amyl methyl ether) affect microbial community structure and function in
Johanna Bartling1, Jürgen Esperschütz, Berndt-Michael Wilke
1Berlin University of Technology, Institute of Ecology, Franklinstr 29, 10587 Berlin, Germany. johanna.bartling@tu-berlin.de
Abstract:
Ethyl tert butyl ether (ETBE) and tert amyl methyl ether (TAME) are oxygenates used in gasoline in order to reduce emissions from vehicles. The present study investigated their impact on a soil microflora that never was exposed to any contamination before. Therefore, soil was artificially contaminated and incubated over 6 weeks. Substrate induced respiration (SIR) measurements and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis indicated shifts in both, microbial function and structure during incubation. The results showed an activation of microbial respiration in the presence of ETBE and TAME, suggesting biodegradation by the microflora. Furthermore, PLFA concentrations decreased in the presence of ETBE and TAME and Gram-positive bacteria became more dominant in the microbial community.
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