A MOLECULAR VIEW OF MICROBIAL DIVERSITY IN A DYNAMIC LANDFILL IN QUEBEC

An Aroclor 1260 (polychlorinated biphenyl, PCB)-laden soil and one hea vily contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a secure, engineered landfill site in Quebec were analyzed for microbial diversity using a clone library of the 16S rDNA sequences. Phylogenet ic analysis revealed that three phyla and their major subdivisions of the domain Bacteria were highly represented in these samples despite t he high pollution, particularly by PAHs. None of the 16S rDNA sequence s obtained matched known sequences from cultivated bacterial species o r from 16S rDNA sequences amplified directly from other environmental samples. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.