Volatilization of mercury compounds and utilization of various aromatic compounds by a broad-spectrum mercury resistant Bacillus pasteurii strain

TLDR: The author isolated a broad-spectrum Hg-resistant Bacillus pasteurii strain DR{sub 2} which could volatilize different mercury compounds and utilize various aromatic compounds as sole sources of carbon and preferentially utilized benzene in a medium containing both glucose and benzene.

Abstract: Aquatic ecosystems may receive aromatic compounds through various routes These compounds can cause cancerous diseases in aquatic animals and enhance mutagenicity of the sediments The persistence of aromatic compounds deposited in sediments is affected by microbial degradation Plasmid-determined mercuric and organomercurial resistance in microorganisms has also been studied by several workers Utilization of various aromatic compounds as sole sources of carbon by an Hg-resistant bacterial strain has not been reported The author isolated a broad-spectrum Hg-resistant Bacillus pasteurii strain DR{sub 2} which could volatilize different mercury compounds and utilize various aromatic compounds as sole sources of carbon This strain preferentially utilized benzene in a medium containing both glucose and benzene To their knowledge, until recently there has been no report on preferential utilization of other compounds, particularly an aromatic compound to glucose in a mixture