Phospholipid fatty acid analysis as part of the Yucca Mountain Project. Final report

Abstract

In support of the Yucca Mountain subsurface microbial characterization project phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analyses for viable microbial biomass, community composition and nutritional status were performed. Results showed a positive correlation between a decrease in viable biomass and increase in depth with the lowest biomass values being obtained from the Topopah Spring geologic horizon. A plot of the ratio of non-viable (diglyceride fatty acids) to viable (PLFA) cells also showed the lowest values to derive from the Topopah Spring horizon. Estimations of microbial community composition, made from the patterns of PLFA recovered from the sediment samples, revealed similarities between samples collected within the same geologic horizons: Tiva Canyon, Pre-Pah Canyon and Topopah Spring. Results indicated the presence of mixed communities composed of gram positive, gram negative, actinomycete and obligate anaerobic bacteria. Culturable organisms, recovered from similar sediments, were representative of the same bacterial classifications although gram positive bacterial isolates typically outnumbered gram negative isolates. Within the gram negative bacterial community, corroborative indicators of physiological stress were apparent in the Topopah Spring horizon.