Effects of soil and water content on methyl bromide oxidation by the ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea

Little information exists on the potential of NH3-oxidizing bacteria to coo xidize halogenated hydrocarbons in soil. A study was conducted to examine t he cooxidation of methyl bromide (MeBr) by an NH3-oxidizing bacterium, Nitr osomonas europaea, under soil conditions. Soil and its water content modifi ed the availability of NH4+ and MeBr and influenced the relative rates of s ubstrate (NH,) and cosubstrate (MeBr) oxidations. These observations highli ght the complexity associated with characterizing soil cooxidative activiti es when soil and water interact to differentially affect substrate and cosu bstrate availabilities.