Estimation of DDT availability to DDT-degrading bacterium in soil by a direct extraction method of bacterial cells

The availability of DDT to a DDT-degrading bacterium, 26f in autoclaved soil was estimated as DDT amount in the bacterial cell fraction extracted directly from soil using a dispersion-centrifugation method. Recovery of the cells from soil was in the range of 30% to 65%. The bioavailable amount of DDT, expressed as the sum of DDT and its major metabolite DDD, was 0.25 nmol after one day of incubation when the soil contained 2.94 nmol as total.