Influence of oxygen supply on heptadecane mineralization by Pseudomonas nautica

The influence of different states of oxygen supply on heptadecane mineralization has been investigated in resting cell suspensions of Pseudomonas nautica. The rate of heptadecane biodegraded was constant for oxygen concentrations between 21% and 10% (v/v) (about 100% and 50% of air saturation, 230 and 110 microM, respectively). A decline in biodegradation rates occurred for oxygen concentrations below 10% (about 50% of air saturation, 110 microM) and biodegradation stopped with 0.21% oxygen (2.3 microM). In the presence of 1% (11 microM) of oxygen, no CO2 was produced, showing that complete mineralisation of heptadecane was blocked.