Exploring the capacity for anaerobic biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and naphthenic acids by microbes from oil-sands-process-affected waters

Bicyclic naphthenic acids in oil sands process

Naphthenic Acids in Athabasca Oil Sands Tailings Waters Are Less Biodegradable than Commercial Naphthenic Acids

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are natural constituents in many petroleum sources, including bitumen in the oil sands of Northern Alberta, Canada. Bitumen extraction processes produce tailings waters that cannot be discharged to the environment because NAs are acutely toxic to aquatic species. However, aerobic biodegradation reduces the toxic character of NAs. In this study, four commercial NAs and the...

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Pseudomonas species

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, toxic compounds widely distributed in the environment by bacteria, is a cheap and safe cleaning up method. The present study attempts to isolate and characterize dioxygenase-producing bacteria which are able to degrade phenanthrene and pyrene from refinery soils. It also aims to assess in vitro biodegradation. To do so, two contaminated soil s...

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Pseudomonas species

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, toxic compounds widely distributed in the environment by bacteria, is a cheap and safe cleaning up method. The present study attempts to isolate and characterize dioxygenase-producing bacteria which are able to degrade phenanthrene and pyrene from refinery soils. It also aims to assess in vitro biodegradation. To do so, two contaminated soil s...

Biodegradation of Bicyclic and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Anaerobic Enrichments

Although many polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known to be biodegraded under aerobic conditions, most contaminated sediments are anaerobic. With recent results demonstrating that some bicyclics and PAHs can be degraded without oxygen, information on specific biodegradation rates and electron acceptor stoichiometry is lacking. A fluidized bed reactor (FBR) enrichment approach was used...