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Biodegradation of petroleum in seawater at low temperatures.

To evaluate the significance of biodegradation in the removal of polluting oil from cold oceans, freshly collected seawater samples were treated with petroleum and were incubated at controlled temperatures between 5 and 20 °C. Biodegradation was monitored by the measurement of CO2 evolution and by quantitative gas chromatographic analysis. Low water temperatures not only resulted in slower degradation rates, but caused increasing lag periods that preceded the onset of measurable biodegradation. A substantial portion of these lag periods was eliminated when, instead of fresh petroleum, a "weathered" sample was used. The results suggest that some volatile components of petroleum that are inhibitory to oil-degrading microorganisms evaporate only very slowly at low temperatures, and thus retard biodegradation.