1. Oil biodegradation. Water droplets in oil are microhabitats for microbial life.
- Author
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Meckenstock RU, von Netzer F, Stumpp C, Lueders T, Himmelberg AM, Hertkorn N, Schmitt-Kopplin P, Harir M, Hosein R, Haque S, and Schulze-Makuch D
- Subjects
- Anaerobiosis, Archaea genetics, Archaea isolation & purification, Bacteria genetics, Bacteria isolation & purification, Biodegradation, Environmental, Fourier Analysis, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Trinidad and Tobago, Archaea metabolism, Bacteria metabolism, Lakes microbiology, Microbiota genetics, Petroleum metabolism, Water Microbiology
- Abstract
Anaerobic microbial degradation of hydrocarbons, typically occurring at the oil-water transition zone, influences the quality of oil reservoirs. In Pitch Lake, Trinidad and Tobago--the world's largest asphalt lake--we found that microorganisms are metabolically active in minuscule water droplets (1 to 3 microliters) entrapped in oil. Pyrotag sequencing of individual droplet microbiomes revealed complex methanogenic microbial communities actively degrading the oil into a diverse range of metabolites, as shown by nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. High salinity and water-stable isotopes of the droplets indicate a deep subsurface origin. The 13.5% water content and the large surface area of the droplets represent an underestimated potential for biodegradation of oil away from the oil-water transition zone., (Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.)
- Published
- 2014
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