Anaerobic degradation of alkylbenzenes in crude oil. I. Isolation and characterization of alkylbenzene-degrading sulfate-reducing and denitrifying bacteria
- Max-Planck-Institute fuer Marine, Bremen (Germany); and others
Marine, sulfate-reducing bacteria have been enriched from the water phase of a North Sea-oil tank. The enrichment culture grew on crude oil at the expense of alkylbenzenes with concomitant production of hydrogen sulfide. Whole cell hybridization with fluorescent oligonucleotide probes revealed that the enrichment culture consisted mainly of completely oxidizing sulfate-reducing bacteria. The findings demonstrate that alkylbenzenes in crude oil can be regarded as potential electron donors for sulfate-reduction in oil fields. The resulting formation of hydrogen sulfide may lead to souring of oil and corrosion of pipelines, In addition, we examined denitrifying bacteria. New types of dentrifying bacteria, which were isolated from fresh water sediments with various alkylbenzenes, grew on crude oil as the only source of organic substrates and nitrate as electron acceptor. In agreement with the nutritional capacities of the different bacterial strains, the pattern of alkylbenzene utilization from the crude oil was shown to be strain-specific.
- OSTI ID:
- 370436
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960376--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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