Anaerobic degradation of oil hydrocarbons by sulfate-reducing and nitrate-reducing bacteria
نویسندگان
چکیده
Crude oil is a complex mixture mainly composed of various saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons. Whereas degradation of hydrocarbons by oxygen-respiring microorganisms has been known for nearly one century, utilization of hydrocarbons under anoxic conditions has been investigated only during the past ten years. The present paper summarizes investigations into the anaerobic degradability of crude oil as a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. Anaerobic growth on crude oil was observed in enrichment cultures and pure cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Several alkylbenzenes and n-alkanes were specifically consumed with concomitant reduction of sulfate to sulfide; consumed hydrocarbons together accounted for up to approximately 10% of the crude oil. Incompletely consumed alkylbenzenes exhibited an enrichment in C versus C. Sulfate-reduction with oil hydrocarbons may offer an explanation for ancient microbial processes in oil reservoirs where reduced sulfur species are present, and for the undesirable sulfide formation in oil production plants. Furthermore, an anaerobic consumption of alkylbenzenes and n-alkanes from crude oil in enrichment cultures and pure cultures of denitrifying bacteria could be demonstrated.
منابع مشابه
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