UTILIZATION OF TOLUENE AND XYLENES BY A NITRATE-REDUCING STRAIN OF PSEUDOMONAS-MALTOPHILIA UNDER LOW-OXYGEN AND ANOXIC CONDITIONS

A nitrate-reducing strain of Pseudomonas maltophilia isolated from sewage sludge degrades toluene, and at least two isomers of mixed xylenes, either in the presence of 2% oxygen or under anoxic conditions when nitrate is present. When individual isomers of xylene are provided only meta and para-xylene are utilized. When mixed xylenes are provided all three isomers may be utilized. In cultures limited by electron acceptor availability, succinate, when present as the major carbon source, does not prevent hydrocarbon utilization. Toluene and xylenes continued to be utilized either with limiting nitrate alone, or with limiting nitrate and oxygen present simultaneously when a hundred-fold excess of succinate is present in the medium. The data suggest that in groundwater containing low levels of oxygen and nitrate, or nitrate only as the electron acceptor, aromatic hydrocarbons may continue to be utilized even in the presence of an excess of readily-degradable non-hydrocarbon organic substrates. These data have implications for bioremediation studies. The strain of Pseudomonas maltophilia used in this study does not degrade benzene, and the presence of benzene does not affect toluene utilization.