Table 2.

Average (AVG ± SD) bacterial mineralization rate (μg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) and turnover time (days) of naphthalene, phenanthrene and fluoranthene for three surveys (August and December 1998, April 1999). The percentage of bacterial production that could be supported by total PAH mineralization (sum of that for naphthalene, phenanthrene and fluoranthene) was highest in August and lowest in December in Charleston Harbor estuary sediments. Detection limit (DL): 0.01 μg C kg⁻¹ day⁻¹

Date	Station	Mineralization rate (μg kg−1 day−1)						Total PAH mineralization (% production)
		Naphthalene		Phenanthrene		Fluoranthene
		AVG	SD	AVG	SD	AVG	SD
1-Aug-98	1	0.22	0.04	7.7	3.6	14	7.1	7
	2	0.19	0.09	2.5	1.1	0.09	0.1	2.3
	3	0.25	0.06	5.9	1.4	<DL	–	4.3
	4	0.07	0.03	1.9	0.91	<DL	–	6.4
	10	5.7	2.0	15	7.1	2.8	0.94	13
	12	11	4.8	18	1.8	5.6	2.7	5.5
	A2	0.66	0.22	0.39	0.14	<DL	–	1.0
1-Dec-98	1	0.02	0.0	0.47	0.54	0.05	0.0	1.0
	2	<DL	–	0.08	0.05	0.07	0.0	0.31
	3	0.29	0.12	0.24	0.05	<DL	–	1.8
	4	0.10	0.03	<DL	–	<DL	–	0.23
	5	0.32	0.02	0.17	0.03	0.05	0.01	0.88
	6.5	0.25	0.02	0.10	0.01	<DL	–	2.7
	17	0.42	0.11	1.3	0.38	0.12	0.01	1.5
	A1	0.22	0.08	0.07	0.01	0.03	0.01	0.45
	A2	0.39	0.05	0.11	0.01	0.04	0.0	1.8
1-Apr-99	1	<DL	–	0.21	0.06	2.6	2.5	1.6
	4	0.10	0.02	<DL	–	0.18	0.03	0.33
	5	<DL	–	<DL	–	0.10	0.08	0.90
	6.1	<DL	–	<DL	–	<DL	–	0.0
	12	4.2	2.1	2.6	2.0	0.3	0.04	3.1
	17	0.67	0.09	0.07	0.02	1.6	1.4	18
	A1	<DL	–	<DL	–	<DL	–	0.0
	A2	0.25	0.02	0.13	0.07	0.25	0.15	2.5