Resistant Mechanism of Pollutants in Marine Organisms Suffered from Environmental Pollution by the Great East Japan Earthquake

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26550083
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Environmental risk control and evaluation
• Research Institution: Prefectural University of Kumamoto (2015-2016); Ehime University (2014)
• Principal Investigator: Agusa Tetsuro 熊本県立大学, 環境共生学部, 准教授 (50403853)
• Research Collaborator: Hirano Masashi ; Miyazaki Kohei ; Ban Masahiro ; Koike Miyuki ; Itoh Shohei
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 集団遺伝学的影響 / 生体毒性 / 東日本大震災 / 重油汚染 / PAH / メタゲノム / 気仙沼湾

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study investigated population genetic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on marine ecosystem in Kesennuma Bay affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake followed by heavy oil pollution. A bacterial flora analysis in marine sediments from Kesennuma Bay revealed that Rhodococcus, which has characters of oil resistant and decomposing, was highly distributed in the high PAHs contaminated areas. Since 2011, the abundance of Rhodococcus decreased year by year. These results suggest that Rhodococcus preferentially existed in heavy oil polluted areas and abundant of Rhodococcus decrease with decomposing and decreasing heavy oil.

Free Research Field

環境化学・毒性学