Effects of Naturally Occurring Aquatic Organic Fractions on 241 Am Uptake by Scenedesmus obliquus (Chlorophyceae) and Aeromonas hydrophila (Pseudomonadaceae)

Abstract

Naturally occurring organics were extracted from water collected from Skinface Pond near Aiken, S.C. Organics were separated into four nominal diameter size fractions (I, >0.0183; II, 0.0183 to 0.0032; III, 0.0032 to 0.0009; IV, <0.0009 μm) by membrane ultrafiltration and introduced into Scenedesmus obliquus and Aeromonas hydrophila cultures to determine their effects on 241 Am availability for uptake. Effects on 241 Am uptake were determined in actively growing S. obliquus cultures after 96 h of growth and in dense cultures of nongrowing cells after 4 h. Uptake by A. hydrophila was determined after 4 and 24 h in actively growing cultures. All organic fractions stimulated S. obliquus growth, with the most pronounced effects due to larger organic fractions, whereas no apparent growth stimulation of A. hydrophila was observed for any organic fraction. For both long-term and short-term studies, cellular 241 Am concentration (picocuries/cell) increased with increasing 241 Am concentration for S. obliquus and A. hydrophila. Fraction IV increased 241 Am uptake by both S. obliquus and A. hydrophila during 4-h incubations. During 96-h incubations fraction I was flocculated and cosedimented, with S. obliquus and A. hydrophila cells causing an apparent increase in 241 Am uptake. Fractions II and III reduced apparent 241 Am uptake by S. obliquus as a result of biological dilution caused by increased algal growth due to the organics. Fraction IV caused a reduction in 241 Am uptake by S. obliquus not attributable to biological dilution. Organics increased 241 Am uptake by A. hydrophila during 4- and 24-h incubations. A. hydrophila also caused flocculation of fraction I during 96-h incubations.