Richard Bartha, 1934–2025

We are sad to report that Richard Bartha, past president of Theobald Smith Society (1990-1991), passed away on August 11, 2025, at his home in Port Townsend, Washington.   He was ninety years old.  Bartha was a pioneering environmental microbiologist whose gentle wisdom and groundbreaking discoveries significantly contributed to shaping the field of bioremediation. He was surrounded by family and the serenity of the Pacific Northwest landscapes he and his family had long dreamed of returning to.

Born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1934, Bartha came of age in a world defined by upheaval. He survived the Second World War and the Soviet occupation that followed, experiences that left him wary of ideology but deeply appreciative of perseverance and integrity. As a university student, he took part in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, escaping to West Germany when Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest. There, he continued his studies at the University of Göttingen, earning his Ph.D. in microbiology in 1961 with Hans Günter Schlegel. His life’s trajectory—from a war-torn childhood to a peaceful home overlooking Puget Sound was chronicled in his autobiographical memoir, My Work at Rutgers University, 1968-1998.

In 1962, Bartha emigrated to the United States to take a postdoctoral position at the University of Washington, where he met his future wife, Susi, a social worker whose compassion and independence matched his quiet determination. When Rutgers University offered him a research position in 1964, he accepted, and together they began a new chapter on the East Coast. It was there, in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, that Bartha would spend the next 34 years building a laboratory that became a model of collegiality, fairness, and enduring scientific relevance.

In the early 60s, a group of Rutgers faculty members, responding to a national initiative inspired by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, proposed a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research program to investigate how pesticides behave in the environment—how they break down, move through ecosystems, and affect living organisms. The project brought together zoologists, botanists, chemists, soil and aquatic scientists, and microbiologists, all working under a federal grant inspired by the political and public momentum Silent Spring had created. David Pramer led the soil microbiology component, and Bartha was hired as a postdoc to help develop methods for studying pesticide degradation directly in soil.

Rejecting the sterile conventions of pure culture microbiology, Bartha and Pramer treated soil itself as a “super-organism,” a living system whose complexity could not be reduced to isolated pure cultures or simple consortia. Their work revealed that pesticides were not simply inert in the environment; they were subject to microbial transformations that could both detoxify and, at times, render them more hazardous. This insight—novel in the 1960s—helped launch the modern science of environmental microbiology.

Early in his career, Richard Bartha received a formative lesson in scientific communication under the mentorship of Dr. David Pramer. Having written what he believed to be a careful and polished manuscript based on his postdoctoral research at the University of Washington, Bartha asked Pramer to take a look at it. Four hours later, Pramer returned the paper—completely rewritten. In his memoir, Bartha recalled the experience with characteristic humility and humor, describing it not as a humiliation but as an awakening. He suddenly saw that clarity, structure, and narrative coherence were as vital to science as the data themselves. Pramer’s rewrite didn’t merely improve the prose—it sharpened the logic, strengthened the argument, and revealed how writing could itself be an instrument of thought. From that day forward, Bartha treated writing as an integral part of the scientific process. He passed the same lesson to his own students, often returning their edited drafts overnight—meticulously marked up, as Pramer had once done for him.

Bartha’s career soon expanded to the study of oil degradation, mercury cycling, and volatile organic compounds. One of his most famous discoveries, made with his student Ronald Atlas, revealed that the primary limitation to microbial oil degradation in seawater was not the absence of bacteria, but rather the scarcity of nitrogen and phosphorus. By supplementing these nutrients, the rate of biodegradation increased fiftyfold. Their development of “oleophilic fertilizers” that adhered to oil slicks without polluting the water later proved instrumental in cleanup efforts following the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska.

Despite the weight of his research, Bartha’s memoir My Work at Rutgers University, 1968–1998 reveals a man animated by humor, modesty, and deep human warmth. He admitted freely that he “was not a born leader,” preferring to guide by example rather than authority. His office was a small room adjoining the laboratory, separated from his students only by an open door. This was deliberate: he wanted to be accessible, to hear the rhythms of the lab, and to help his students “in real time.” Weekly meetings were sacrosanct, not for critique alone but for teaching self-reflection. When data were inconsistent, he rarely scolded—he asked questions that led his students to recognize the flaws themselves.

Although he asked his students to address him formally as “Dr. Bartha”—a convention he traced through his own mentors, Schlegel, Pramer and even to Selman Waksman, the Nobel laureate who had once chaired the Rutgers department—the formality never created distance. In fact, Bartha’s lab was known for its warmth and camaraderie. He welcomed students into his home, joined them on camping and boating trips, and cultivated a sense of shared purpose that blurred the line between work and friendship. As he later wrote, “My leadership style was built less on authority than on shared enthusiasm.”

Bartha’s integrity extended to his approach to mentoring. He succeeded in providing full financial support to all his graduate students, foreign and domestic, throughout their studies.  During his career, he trained over 25 Ph.D. students who established careers in academia, industry, and government.  More than half of his Ph.D. students came from abroad, particularly from China, India, and Korea. He wrote that he felt a “natural sympathy” for international students who, like him, had traveled far from home in pursuit of opportunity. He also reflected candidly on the responsibilities of advising female students, noting how emotional intelligence and boundaries mattered as much as intellect in creating a respectful, equitable environment.

His professional accomplishments included being elected a Fellow of the American Society for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1993, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (the honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology) in 1994. He was appointed as a member of the Editorial Boards of several journals, including Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Soil Science, and Journal of Industrial Microbiology.  At Rutgers, he was promoted to Full Professor in 1973 and Distinguished Professor in 1984.

I first met Professor Richard Bartha as a student in his legendary Rutgers course, Microbial Ecology, which he developed and taught for many years. It was one of the first university courses in the country to explore the intricate relationships between microorganisms and their environments—linking laboratory precision with ecological understanding. Bartha’s teaching emphasized experimentation in real-world contexts—soil, water, and sediment—and he urged students to see microbes not as isolated curiosities but as vital participants in global biogeochemical cycles. The course was demanding, yet his remarkably organized lectures made even the most complex concepts accessible. The experience was enriched by the course textbook, Microbial Ecology: Fundamentals and Applications, which Bartha co-authored with his former student Ronald M. Atlas. First published in 1981 and revised through four editions, the book became a cornerstone of the discipline, adopted in classrooms worldwide. Its clarity, structure, and practical focus mirrored Bartha’s own teaching philosophy: that good science depends on careful reasoning, lucid writing, and a respect for the microbial systems that sustain life on Earth.

I eventually found myself in Doug Eveleigh’s lab, just down the hall from Richard Bartha’s. Most Friday afternoons, the third-floor conference room filled with department faculty and students for what was affectionately known as the Fermentation Seminar—so named because beer and wine were served, in the more relaxed era before the university tightened its alcohol policies. These informal gatherings were a mix of science and camaraderie: sometimes featuring visiting speakers from around the world, and other times offering the chance for Rutgers researchers to share their latest findings. One afternoon, Dr. Bartha gave a talk that none of us ever forgot. He described how, during a family camping trip in the Pacific Northwest, he had foraged what he confidently identified as edible mushrooms and served them to his wife, Susi, and their daughters, Miriam and Doris. Not long after, one by one, they began to lose consciousness. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Bartha scribbled a note that read,“I think I’ve killed my family…”—before collapsing himself. Mercifully, everyone regained consciousness hours later, unharmed. Bartha ended the story with his characteristic dry humor, assuring us that he had become a far more cautious mushroom hunter ever since.

He retired in 1998 at age 64—by choice, not necessity—determined, as he put it, “not to become academic deadwood.” His laboratory was still publishing actively when he closed it down. After a warm send-off organized by his students, he and Susi packed their car with two cats, a dozen bonsai trees, and a lifetime of papers, and drove cross-country to Port Townsend, Washington, fulfilling Susi’s long-held wish to return to the Pacific Northwest. There, he continued to kayak, garden, and write, producing his memoir with the same blend of clarity, humor, and self-awareness that marked his teaching.

In his memoir, Bartha reflects not just on experiments and results, but on the culture of science itself—its personalities, frustrations, and moments of unexpected grace. “Scientific papers,” he observed, “tell the clean story of how things worked. The real story, full of blind alleys, funding crises, and luck, is what makes science human.” His memoir captures that humanity in full.

Richard Bartha is survived by his wife, Susi; their daughters, Miriam and Doris; and the generations of students and colleagues whose lives were enriched by his mentorship. For those who wish to know not just the scientist but the man—the teacher, the immigrant, the gardener, the friend—his memoir stands as a lasting invitation. In its pages, Richard Bartha continues to teach us: about curiosity, about fairness, and about the quiet joy of discovery pursued for its own sake.

Publications

1.          Schlegel, HG, Gottschalk, G, von Bartha, R. 1961. Formation and utilization of poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid by Knallgas bacteria hydrogenomonas. Nature 191:463–465.

2.          Schlegel, HG, von Bartha, R. 1961. Hemmungsanalytische versuche zum rückkoppelungseffekt bei Hydrogenomonas. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung B 16:777–780.

3.          Schlegel, HG, von Bartha, R. 1961. “Leerlauf”-H2-oxydation und “rückkoppelung” bei Knallgasbakterien. Naturwissenschaften 48:414–415.

4.          Bartha, R. 1962. Physiologische Untersuchungen über den chemolithotrophen Stoffwechsel neu isolierter Hydrogenomonas-Stämme. Archiv für Mikrobiologie 41:313–350.

5.          Bartha, R, Ordal, EJ. 1965. Nickel-dependent chemolithotrophic growth of two Hydrogenomonas strains. Journal of Bacteriology 89:1015–1019.

6.          Bartha, R, Pramer, D. 1965. Features of a flask and method for measuring the persistence and biological effects of pesticides in soil. Soil Science 100:68–70.

7.          Bartha, R, Pramer, D. 1967. Pesticide transformation to aniline and azo compounds in soil. Science 156:1617–1618.

8.          Bartha, R, Lanzilotta, RP, Pramer, D. 1967. Stability and effects of some pesticides in soil. Applied Microbiology 15:67–75.

9.          Bartha, R, Linke, HAB, Pramer, D. 1968. Pesticide transformations: production of chloroazobenzenes from chloroanilines. Science 161:582–583.

10.       Bartha, R. 1968. Biochemical transformations of anilide herbicides in soil. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 16:602–604.

11.       Bartha, R. 1968. Mikroorganismen in der Wurzelregion Von Weizen. Soil Science 105:201.

12.       Pramer, D, Bartha, R. 1968. Respiratory effects and the decomposition of some pesticides in soil, p. 29–35. In Primavesi, A (ed.), Progress in Biodynamics and Productivity of Soil. Proceedings of the Second Latin American Colloquium on Soil Biology, University of Santa Maria, Pallotti, Santa Maria, Brazil.

13.       Linke, HAB, Bartha, R, Pramer, D. 1968. Dechlorination of o-chloronitrobenzene by lithium aluminium hydride reduction. Naturwissenschaften 55:444.

14.       Bartha, R, Linke, HAB, Pramer, D. 1968. Umwanlung von unkrautbekampfungsmitteln zu azoverbindugen durch bodenmikroorganismen. Umschau in Wissenschaft and Technik 69:182–183.

15.       Bartha, R. 1969. Pesticide interaction creates hybrid residue. Science 166:1299–1300.

16.       Bordeleau, LM, Bartha, R. 1969. Rapid technique for enumeration and isolation of peroxidase-producing microorganisms. Applied Microbiology 18:274–275.

17.       Bartha, R. 1969. Transformation of solan in soil. Weed Science 17:471–472.

18.       Bartha, R, Pramer, D. 1969. Transformation of the herbicide methyl-N-(3, 4-dichlorophenyl)-carbamate (Swep) in soil. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 4:240–245.

19.       Linke, HAB, Bartha, R, Pramer, D. 1969. Chloroazobenzenes: studies on syntheses. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung B 24:994–996.

20.       Bartha, R, Bordeleau, L. 1969. Cell-free peroxidases in soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 1:139–143.

21.       Bartha, R, Pramer, D. 1970. Metabolism of acylanilide herbicides. Advances in Applied Microbiology 13:317–341.

22.       Bordeleau, LM, Bartha, R. 1970. Azobenzene residues from aniline-based herbicides: evidence for labile intermediates. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 5:34–37.

23.       Bartha, R. 1970. Controlling oil pollution of harbors through biological means. Naval Research Reviews 23:24–26.

24.       Bartha, R. 1971. Fate of herbicide-derived chloroanilines in soil. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 19:385–387.

25.       Bartha, R. 1971. Altered propanil biodegradation in temporarily air-dried soil. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 19:394–395.

26.       Bordeleau, LM, Bartha, R. 1971. Ecology of a herbicide transformation: synergism of two soil fungi. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 3:281–284.

27.       Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1972. Degradation and mineralization of petroleum by two bacteria isolated from coastal waters. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 14:297–308.

28.       Pramer, D, Bartha, R. 1972. Preparation and processing of soil samples for biodegradation studies. Environmental Letters 2:217–224.

29.       Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1972. Degradation and mineralization of petroleum in sea water: limitation by nitrogen and phosphorous. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 14:309–318.

30.       Bordeleau, LM, Rosen, JD, Bartha, R. 1972. Herbicide-derived chloroazobenzene residues. Pathway of formation. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 20:573–578.

31.       Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1972. Biodegradation of petroleum in seawater at low temperatures. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 18:1851–1855.

32.       Bordeleau, LM, Bartha, R. 1972. Biochemical transformations of herbicide-derived anilines in culture medium and in soil. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 18:1857–1864.

33.       Bordeleau, LM, Bartha, R. 1972. Biochemical transformations of herbicide-derived anilines: requirements of molecular configuration. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 18:1873–1882.

34.       Bordeleau, LM, Bartha, R. 1972. Biochemical transformations of herbicide-derived anilines: purification and characterization of causative enzymes. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 18:1865–1871.

35.       Bartha, R, Atlas, RM. 1972. Biodegradation of polluting oil. Naval Research Reviews 25:17–22.

36.       Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1973. Abundance, distribution and oil biodegradation potential of micro-organisms in Raritan Bay. Environmental Pollution (1970) 4:291–300.

37.       Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1973. Stimulated biodegradation of oil slicks using oleophilic fertilizers. Environmental Science & Technology 7:538–541.

38.       Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1973. Fate and effects of polluting petroleum in the marine environment, p. 49–85. In Gunther, FA (ed.), Residues of Pesticides and Other Contaminants in the Total Environment (1973), Springer-Verlag, New York.

39.       Hsu, TS, Bartha, R. 1973. Interaction of pesticide-derived chloroaniline residues with soil organic matter. Soil Science 116:444–452.

40.       Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1973. Inhibition by fatty acids of the biodegradation of petroleum. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 39:257–271.

41.       Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1973. Biodegradation of oil in seawater: limiting factors and artificial

42.       stimulation, p. 147–152. In Ahearn, DG, Meyers, SP (eds.), The Microbial Degradation of Oil Pollutants, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.

43.       Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1973. Effects of some commercial oil herders, dispersants and bacterial inocula on biodegradation of oil in seawater, p. 283–289. In Ahearn, DG, Meyers, SP (eds.), The Microbial Degradation of Oil Pollutants, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.

44.       Hsu, TS, Bartha, R. 1974. Biodegradation of chloroaniline-humus complexes in soil and in culture solution. Soil Science 118:213–220.

45.       Bartha, R. 1974. Modern Methods in the Study of Microbial Ecology. Soil Science 118:136.

46.       Pirnik, MP, Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1974. Hydrocarbon metabolism by Brevibacterium erythrogenes: normal and branched alkanes. Journal of Bacteriology 119:868–878.

47.       Raymond, DD, Bartha, R. 1974. Metabolism of alkyl naphthalenes by bacteria from a polluted estuary, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

48.       Dean-Raymond, D, Bartha, R. 1975. Biodegradation of some polynuclear aromatic petroleum components by marine bacteria. Developments in Industrial Microbiology 16:97–110.

49.       Bartha, R. 1975. Microbial transformations and environmental fate of some phenylamide herbicides. Soil Science Annual (Warsaw) 25:17–24.

50.       Hsu, TS, Bartha, R. 1976. Hydrolyzable and nonhydrolyzable 3, 4-dichloroaniline-humus complexes and their respective rates of biodegradation. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 24:118–122.

51.       Bartha, R, Hsu, TS. 1976. Spectroscopic characterization of soil organic matter, p. 258–271. In Kaufma, DD, Still, GG, Paulson, GD, Bandal, SK (eds.), Bound and Conjugated Pesticide Residues, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC.

52.       Bartha, R. 1976. Biodegradation of oil slicks on the marine environment, Defense Technical Information Center, Fort Belvoir, VA.

53.       Dibble, JT, Bartha, R. 1976. Effect of iron on the biodegradation of petroleum in seawater. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 31:544–550.

54.       Bartha, R, Hsu, TS. 1976. Chloroaniline-humus complexes-formation, persistence, and problems in monitoring, p. 362–363. In Kaufman, DD, Still, GG, Paulson, GD, Bandal, SK (eds.), Bound and Conjugated Pesticide Residues, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC.

55.       Bartha, R, Atlas, RM. 1976. Biodegradation of oil on water surfaces. U.S. Patent No. 3,959,127

56.       Reich, M, Bartha, R. 1977. Degradation and mineralization of a polybutene film-mulch by the synergistic action of sunlight and soil microbes. Soil Science 124:177–180.

57.       Bartha, R, Atlas, RM. 1977. The microbiology of aquatic oil spills. Advances in Applied Microbiology 22:225–266.

58.       Bartha, R. 1977. The effect of oil spills on trees. Journal of Arboriculture 3:42–47.

59.       Atlas, RM, Pramer, D, Bartha, R. 1978. Assessment of pesticide effects on non-target soil microorganisms. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 10:231–239.

60.       Kanner, D, Gerber, NN, Bartha, R. 1978. Pattern of phenazine pigment production by a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Journal of Bacteriology 134:690–692.

61.       Dibble, JT, Bartha, R. 1979. Effect of environmental parameters on the biodegradation of oil sludge. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 37:729–739.

62.       Hsu, T-S, Bartha, R. 1979. Accelerated mineralization of two organophosphate insecticides in the rhizosphere. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 37:36–41.

63.       Marinucci, AC, Bartha, R. 1979. Biodegradation of 1, 2, 3-and 1, 2, 4-trichlorobenzene in soil and in liquid enrichment culture. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 38:811–817.

64.       Marinucci, AC, Bartha, R. 1979. Apparatus for monitoring the mineralization of volatile 14C-labeled compounds. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 38:1020–1022.

65.       Dibble, JT, Bartha, R. 1979. Rehabilitation of oil-inundated agricultural land: a case history. Soil Science 128:56–60.

66.       Dibble, JT, Bartha, R. 1979. Leaching aspects of oil sludge biodegradation in soil. Soil Science 127:365–370.

67.       Kanner, D, Bartha, R. 1979. Growth of Nocardia rhodochrous on acetylene gas. Journal of Bacteriology 139:225–230.

68.       Blum, JE, Bartha, R. 1980. Effect of salinity on methylation of mercury. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 25:404–408.

69.       Pramer, D, Bartha, R. 1980. How pesticides affect the soil. The Ecologist 10:83–86.

70.       Batha, R. 1980. Pesticide residues in humus. ASM News 46:356–360.

71.       Rozycki, M, Bartha, R. 1981. Problems associated with the use of azide as an inhibitor of microbial activity in soil. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 41:833–836.

72.       Still, CC, Hsu, TS, Bartha, R. 1981. Soil-bound 3, 4-dichloroaniline; source of contamination in rice grain. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 24:550–554.

73.       Bartha, R. 1981. Straw Decay and Its Effect on Disposal and Utilization. Soil Science 131:66.

74.       Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1981. Microbial Ecology Fundamentals and Applications, 1st edition., Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Boston.

75.       Bartha, R. 1981. Mycorrhhizal associations and crop production: some focal questions, p. 1–4. In Myers, RF (ed.), Mycorrhhizal Associations and Crop Production, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, New Brunswick, NJ.

76.       You, IS, Bartha, R. 1982. Metabolism of 3, 4-dichloroaniline by Pseudomonas putida. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 30:274–277.

77.       Marinucci, AC, Bartha, R. 1982. Accumulation of the polychlorinated biphenyl Aroclor 1242 from contaminated detritus and water by the saltmarsh detritivore, Uca pugnax. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 29:326–333.

78.       You, IS, Bartha, R. 1982. Evaluation of the Bleidner technique for analysis of soil-bound 3, 4-dichloroaniline residues. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 30:1143–1147.

79.       Bartha, R. 1982. Pesticide effects on non-target microorganisms in agricultural soils, p. 6–10. In Johnson, BT (ed.), Impact of Xenobiotic Chemicals on Microbial Ecosystems. No. 107, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Technical Paper Series, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC.

80.       You, IS, Jones, RA, Bartha, R. 1982. Evaluation of a chemically defined model for the attachment of 3, 4-dichloroaniline to humus. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 29:476–482.

81.       Marinucci, AC, Bartha, R. 1982. Biomagnification of Aroclor 1242 in decomposing Spartina litter. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 44:669–677.

82.       Marinucci, AC, Bartha, R. 1982. A component model of decomposition of Spartina alterniflora in a New Jersey salt marsh. Canadian Journal of Botany 60:1618–1624.

83.       You, IS, Bartha, R. 1982. Stimulation of 3, 4-dichloroaniline mineralization by aniline. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 44:678–681.

84.       Kanner, D, Bartha, R. 1982. Metabolism of acetylene by Nocardia rhodochrous. Journal of Bacteriology 150:989–992.

85.       Compeau, G, Bartha, R. 1983. Effects of sea salt anions on the formation and stability of methylmercury. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 31:486–493.

86.       Saxena, A, Bartha, R. 1983. Modeling of the covalent attachment of chloroaniline residues to quinoidal sites of soil humus. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 30:485–491.

87.       Saxena, A, Bartha, R. 1983. Binding of 3, 4-dichloroaniline by humic acid and soil: mechanism and exchangeability. Soil Science 136:111–116.

88.       Saxena, A, Bartha, R. 1983. Microbial mineralization of humic acid-3, 4-dichloroaniline complexes. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 15:59–62.

89.       Bartha, R, You, IS, Saxena, A. 1983. Humus-bound residues of phenylamide herbicides: their nature, persistence and monitoring, p. 345–350. In Matsunaka, S, Hutson, DH, Murphy, SD (eds.), Mode of Action, Metabolism and Toxicology, Pergamon, Oxford, UK.

90.       Bartha, R. 1984. Mycorrhizal symbiosis. Soil Science 137:204.

91.       Lyons, CD, Katz, S, Bartha, R. 1984. Mechanisms and pathways of aniline elimination from aquatic environments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 48:491–496.

92.       Bossert, I, Kachel, WM, Bartha, R. 1984. Fate of hydrocarbons during oily sludge disposal in soil. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 47:763–767.

93.       Bartha, R, Bossert, I. 1984. The treatment and disposal of petroleum waste, p. 553–577. In Atlas, RM (ed.), Petroleum Microbiology, Macmillan, New York.

94.       Bossert, I, Bartha, R. 1984. The Fate of Petroleum in Soil Ecosystems, p. 435–445. In Atlas, RM (ed.), Petroleum Microbiology, Macmillan, New York.

95.       Compeau, G, Bartha, R. 1984. Methylation and demethylation of mercury under controlled redox, pH and salinity conditions. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 48:1203–1207.

96.       Rothkopf, GS, Bartha, R. 1984. Structure‐biodegradability correlations among xenobiotic industrial amines. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society 61:977–980.

97.       Bossert, I, Bartha, R. 1985. Plant growth in soils with a history of oily sludge disposal. Soil Science 140:75–77.

98.       Bartha, R. 1985. Sulfate Reducers Revisited. BioScience 35:319.

99.       Compeau, GC, Bartha, R. 1985. Sulfate-reducing bacteria: principal methylators of mercury in anoxic estuarine sediment. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 50:498–502.

100.    Lyons, CD, Katz, SE, Bartha, R. 1985. Persistence and mutagenic potential of herbicide-derived aniline residues in pond water. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 35:696–703.

101.    Lyons, CD, Katz, SE, Bartha, R. 1985. Fate of herbicide-derived aniline residues during ensilage. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 35:704–710.

102.    Bartha, R. 1986. Biotechnology of petroleum pollutant biodegradation. Microbial Ecology 12:155–172.

103.    Berman, M, Bartha, R. 1986. Levels of chemical versus biological methylation of mercury in sediments. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 36:401–404.

104.    Berman, M, Bartha, R. 1986. Control of the methylation process in a mercury-polluted aquatic sediment. Environmental Pollution Series B, Chemical and Physical 11:41–53.

105.    Bossert, ID, Bartha, R. 1986. Structure-biodegradability relationships of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 37:490–495.

106.    Bartha, R. 1986. Applying Microbiology: Microbiological Methods for Environmental Biotechnology. BioScience 36:344.

107.    Song, HG, Pedersen, TA, Bartha, R. 1986. Hydrocarbon mineralization in soil: relative bacterial and fungal contribution. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 18:109–111.

108.    Bartha, R, Atlas, RM. 1987. Transport and transformations of petroleum: biological processes, p. 297–352. In Boesch, DF, Rabalais, NN (eds.), Long-term Environmental Effects of Offshore Oil and Gas Development, CRC Press, Boca Raton.

109.    Compeau, GC, Bartha, R. 1987. Effect of salinity on mercury-methylating activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria in estuarine sediments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 53:261–265.

110.    Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1987. Microbial Ecology Fundamentals and Applications, 2nd edition., Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Boston.

111.    Shannon, MJR, Bartha, R. 1988. Immobilization of leachable toxic soil pollutants by using oxidative enzymes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 54:1719–1723.

112.    Miller, RM, Singer, GM, Rosen, JD, Bartha, R. 1988. Sequential degradation of chlorophenols by photolytic and microbial treatment. Environmental Science & Technology 22:1215–1219.

113.    Bartha, R. 1988. Broadly Speaking: The Microbiology of Terrestrial Ecosystems. BioScience 38:354–355.

114.    Miller, RM, Singer, GM, Rosen, JD, Bartha, R. 1988. Photolysis primes biodegradation of benzo [a] pyrene. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 54:1724–1730.

115.    Gastrich, MD, Bartha, R. 1988. Primary productivity in the planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides ruber (d’Orbigny). Journal of Foraminiferal Research 18:137–142.

116.    Miller, RM, Bartha, R. 1989. Evidence from liposome encapsulation for transport-limited microbial metabolism of solid alkanes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 55:269–274.

117.    Wang, X, Bartha, R. 1990. Effects of bioremediation on residues, activity and toxicity in soil contaminated by fuel spills. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 22:501–505.

118.    Wang, X, Yu, X, Bartha, R. 1990. Effect of bioremediation on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon residues in soil. Environmental Science & Technology 24:1086–1089.

119.    Song, HG, Wang, X, Bartha, R. 1990. Bioremediation potential of terrestrial fuel spills. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 56:652–656.

120.    Berman, M, Chase, TJ, Bartha, R. 1990. Carbon flow in mercury biomethylation by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 56:298–300.

121.    Song, HG, Bartha, R. 1990. Effects of jet fuel spills on the microbial community of soil. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 56:646–651.

122.    Bartha, R. 1990. Isolation of microorganisms that metabolize xenobiotic compounds, p. 283–307. In Labeda, DP (ed.), Isolation of Biotechnological Organisms from Nature, McGraw-Hill, Blacklick, OH.

123.    Yu, X, Wang, X, Bartha, R, Rosen, JD. 1990. Supercritical fluid extraction of coal tar contaminated soil. Environmental Science & Technology 24:1732–1738.

124.    Rosen, JD, Bartha, R. 1991. Cleanup of coal tar contaminated soil, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

125.    Bartha, R. 1992. A Conflict of Titles--Microbial Ecology: Principles, Methods and Applications edited by Morris A. Levin, Ramon J. Seidler and Marvin Rogul. BioScience 42:637–638.

126.    Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1992. Microbial Ecology Fundamentals and Applications, 3rd edition., Benjamin-Cummings Publishing, San Francisco.

127.    Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1993. Hydrocarbon biodegradation and oil spill bioremediation, p. 287–338. In Marshall, KC (ed.), Advances in Microbial Ecology, Springer, Boston.

128.    Shareefdeen, Z, Baltzis, BC, Oh, YS, Bartha, R. 1993. Biofiltration of methanol vapor. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 41:512–524.

129.    Choi, SC, Bartha, R. 1993. Cobalamin-mediated mercury methylation by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans LS. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 59:290–295.

130.    Sharabi, NE-D, Bartha, R. 1993. Testing of some assumptions about biodegradability in soil as measured by carbon dioxide evolution. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 59:1201–1205.

131.    Yabannavar, A, Bartha, R. 1993. Biodegradability of some food packaging materials in soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 25:1469–1475.

132.    Bartha, R. 1993. Petroleum Contaminated Soils, Vol. 3. Soil Science 156:128–129.

133.    Yabannavar, AV, Bartha, R. 1994. Methods for assessment of biodegradability of plastic films in soil. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 60:3608–3614.

134.    Oh, YS, Bartha, R. 1994. Design and performance of a trickling air biofilter for chlorobenzene and o-dichlorobenzene vapors. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 60:2717–2722.

135.    Choi, SC, Chase, TJ, Bartha, R. 1994. Metabolic Pathways Leading to Mercury Methylation in Desulfovibrio desulfuricans LS. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 60:4072–4077.

136.    Oh, YS, Shareefdeen, Z, Baltzis, BC, Bartha, R. 1994. Interactions between benzene, toluene, and p‐xylene (BTX) during their biodegradation. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 44:533–538.

137.    Choi, SC, Chase, TJ, Bartha, R. 1994. Enzymatic catalysis of mercury methylation by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans LS. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 60:1342–1346.

138.    Shen, J, Bartha, R. 1994. On-site bioremediation of soil contaminated by No. 2 fuel oil. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 33:61–72.

139.    Wang, X, Bartha, R. 1994. Effects of bioremediation on toxicity, mutagenesis, and microbiota in hydrocarbon-polluted soils, p. 175–197. In Wise, DL (ed.), Remediation of Hazardous Waste Contaminated Soils, Routledge, New York.

140.    Choi, SC, Bartha, R. 1994. Environmental factors affecting mercury methylation in estuarine sediments. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 53:805–812.

141.    Shen, J, Bartha, R. 1996. Priming effect of substrate addition in soil-based biodegradation tests. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 62:1428–1430.

142.    Jimenez, IY, Bartha, R. 1996. Solvent-augmented mineralization of pyrene by a Mycobacterium sp. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 62:2311–2316.

143.    Shen, J, Bartha, R. 1996. Metabolic efficiency and turnover of soil microbial communities in biodegradation tests. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 62:2411–2415.

144.    Miller, RM, Jimenez, IY, Bartha, R. 1996. The use of liposomes in biodegradability testing, p. Chapter 18 (8pp.). In Lasic, DD, Barenholz, Y (ed.), Handbook of Nonmedical Applications of Liposomes, 1st ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton.

145.    Kanaly, R, Bartha, R, Fogel, S, Findlay, M. 1997. Biodegradation of [(sup14) C] benzo [a] pyrene added in crude oil to uncontaminated soil. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 63:4511–4515.

146.    Shen, J, Bartha, R. 1997. Priming effect of glucose polymers in soil-based biodegradation tests. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 29:1195–1198.

147.    Fogel, S, Findlay, M, Bartha, R, Kanally, R. 1997. Benzo (a) pyrene added to crude oil: biodegradation by natural soil microbiota, p. In Alleman, BC (ed.), In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation: Papers from the Fourth International in Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Symposium, New Orleans, April 28-May 1, 1997, Battelle Press, Columbus, OH.

148.    Atlas, RM, Bartha, R. 1997. Microbial Ecology Fundamentals and Applications, 4th edition., Benjamin-Cummings Publishing, San Francisco.

149.    Oh, YS, Bartha, R. 1997. Construction of a bacterial consortium for the biofiltration of benzene, toluene and xylene emissions. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 13:627–632.

150.    Oh, YS, Bartha, R. 1997. Removal of nitrobenzene vapors by a trickling air biofilter. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology 18:293–296.

151.    Pak, K-R, Bartha, R. 1998. Mercury methylation and demethylation in anoxic lake sediments and by strictly anaerobic bacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 64:1013–1017.

152.    Pak, K-R, Bartha, R. 1998. Mercury methylation by interspecies hydrogen and acetate transfer between sulfidogens and methanogens. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 64:1987–1990.

153.    Pak, K, Bartha, R. 1998. Products of mercury demethylation by sulfidogens and methanogens. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 61:690–694.

154.    Tsao, C-W, Song, H-G, Bartha, R. 1998. Metabolism of benzene, toluene, and xylene hydrocarbons in soil. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 64:4924–4929.

155.    Tsao, CW, Bartha, R. 1999. Differential extraction of radiocarbon associated with soil biomass and humus. Soil Science 164:235–241.

156.    Kanaly, RA, Bartha, R. 1999. Cometabolic mineralization of benzo [a] pyrene caused by hydrocarbon additions to soil. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: An International Journal 18:2186–2190.

157.    Kanaly, RA, Bartha, R, Watanabe…, K. 2000. Rapid mineralization of benzo[a]pyrene by a microbial consortium growing on diesel fuel. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 66:4205–4211.

158.    Kanaly, RA, Bartha, R, Watanabe, K, Harayama, S. 2001. Enhanced mineralization of benzo [a] pyrene in the presence of nonaqueous phase liquids. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 20:498–501.