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. 1984 Apr;47(4):858–862. doi: 10.1128/aem.47.4.858-862.1984

Microbial Degradation of Alkyl Carbazoles in Norman Wells Crude Oil

Phillip M Fedorak 1, Donald W S Westlake 1,*
PMCID: PMC239776  PMID: 16346524

Abstract

Norman Wells crude oil was fractionated by sequential alumina and silicic acid column chromatography methods. The resulting nitrogen-rich fraction was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and showed 26 alkyl (C1 to C5) carbazoles to be the predominant compounds. An oil-degrading mixed bacterial culture was enriched on carbazole to enhance its ability to degrade nitrogen heterocycles. This culture was used to inoculate a series of flasks of mineral medium and Norman Wells crude oil. Residual oil was recovered from these cultures after incubation at 25°C for various times. The nitrogen-rich fraction was analyzed by capillary gas chromatography, using a nitrogen-specific detector. Most of the C1-, C2-, and C3- carbazoles and one of the C4-isomers were degraded within 8 days. No further degradation occurred when incubation was extended to 28 days. The general order of susceptibility of the isomers to biodegradation was C1 > C2 > C3 > C4. The carbazole-enriched culture was still able to degrade n-alkanes, isoprenoids, aromatic hydrocarbons, and sulfur heterocycles in the crude soil.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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