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Langeloh H, Hakvåg S, Øverjordet IB, Bakke I, Sørensen L, Brakstad OG. A seawater field study of crude and fuel oil depletion in Northern Norway at two different seasons - Chemistry and bacterial communities. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 207:116851. [PMID: 39216254 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2024] [Revised: 08/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
After marine oil spills, natural processes like photooxidation and biodegradation can remove the oil from the environment. However, these processes are strongly influenced by environmental conditions. To achieve a greater understanding of how seasonal variations in temperature, light exposure and the bacterial community affect oil depletion in the marine environment, we performed two field experiments during the spring and autumn. Field systems equipped with a thin oil film of Statfjord, Grane or ULSFO were deployed in northern Norway. Depletion of the total extractable matter was faster during the spring than during the autumn. Statfjord showed faster depletion of n-alkanes during spring, while depletion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons varied between the seasons based on the degree of alkyl-substitutions. ULSFO displayed the overall slowest depletion. Biodegradation of the oils was associated with high abundances of unassigned bacteria during the spring but was governed by Alcanivorax, Cycloclasticus, Oleibacter and Oleispira during the autumn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Langeloh
- The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Dept. of Biotechnology and Food Science, Sem Sælandsvei 6/8, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Sigrid Hakvåg
- SINTEF Ocean, Dept. Climate and Environment, Brattørkaia 17b, 7010 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Ida B Øverjordet
- SINTEF Ocean, Dept. Climate and Environment, Brattørkaia 17b, 7010 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Ingrid Bakke
- The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Dept. of Biotechnology and Food Science, Sem Sælandsvei 6/8, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Lisbet Sørensen
- SINTEF Ocean, Dept. Climate and Environment, Brattørkaia 17b, 7010 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Odd G Brakstad
- SINTEF Ocean, Dept. Climate and Environment, Brattørkaia 17b, 7010 Trondheim, Norway.
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Wegeberg S, Fritt-Rasmussen J, Gustavson K, Lilover MJ, Boertmann D, Christensen T, Johansen KL, Spelling-Clausen D, Rigét F, Mosbech A. EOS - Environment & Oil Spill Response. An analytic tool for environmental assessments to support oil spill response planning: Framework, principles, and proof-of-concept by an Arctic example. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 199:115948. [PMID: 38141583 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
The Environment & Oil Spill Response tool (EOS), supports oil spill response planning and decision making. This tool is developed on a research basis, and is an index based, generic and open-source analytic tool, which environmentally can optimise the choice of oil spill response methods for a given spill situation and for a given sea area with respect to environment and nature. The tool is not linked to a particular oil spill simulation model, although it is recommended using oil spill simulation models to have detailed data available for the analysis. The EOS tool consists of an Excel workbook with formulas for calculations and scores followed by screening through decision trees. As case for the EOS tool proof-of-concept, the area of Store Hellefiskebanke, West Greenland, is used. The tool can be downloaded from the Aarhus University home page as a free-of-charge application and is accompanied by a handbook for guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susse Wegeberg
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Janne Fritt-Rasmussen
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Kim Gustavson
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Madis-Jaak Lilover
- Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, EE-15199 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - David Boertmann
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Tom Christensen
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Kasper Lambert Johansen
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Daniel Spelling-Clausen
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Frank Rigét
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Anders Mosbech
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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Kampouris ID, Gründger GF, Christensen JH, Greer CW, Kjeldsen KU, Boone W, Meire L, Rysgaard S, Vergeynst L. Long-term patterns of hydrocarbon biodegradation and bacterial community composition in epipelagic and mesopelagic zones of an Arctic fjord. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 446:130656. [PMID: 36603421 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Oil spill attenuation in Arctic marine environments depends on oil-degrading bacteria. However, the seasonally harsh conditions in the Arctic such as nutrient limitations and sub-zero temperatures limit the activity even for bacteria capable of hydrocarbon metabolism at low temperatures. Here, we investigated whether the variance between epipelagic (seasonal temperature and inorganic nutrient variations) and mesopelagic zone (stable environmental conditions) could limit the growth of oil-degrading bacteria and lead to lower oil biodegradation rates in the epipelagic than in the mesopelagic zone. Therefore, we deployed absorbents coated with three oil types in a SW-Greenland fjord system at 10-20 m (epipelagic) and 615-650 m (mesopelagic) water depth for one year. During this period we monitored the development and succession of the bacterial biofilms colonizing the oil films by 16S rRNA gene amplicon quantification and sequencing, and the progression of oil biodegradation by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry oil fingerprinting analysis. The removal of hydrocarbons was significantly different, with several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons showing longer half-life times in the epipelagic than in the mesopelagic zone. Bacterial community composition and density (16S rRNA genes/ cm2) significantly differed between the two zones, with total bacteria reaching to log-fold higher densities (16S rRNA genes/cm2) in the mesopelagic than epipelagic oil-coated absorbents. Consequently, the environmental conditions in the epipelagic zone limited oil biodegradation performance by limiting bacterial growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis D Kampouris
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Section for Aquatic Biology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Grundger Friederike Gründger
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Section for Aquatic Biology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jan H Christensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Charles W Greer
- National Research Council Canada, Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - Kasper Urup Kjeldsen
- Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Wieter Boone
- Flanders Marine Institute, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
| | - Lorenz Meire
- Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research, Yerseke 4401 NT, the Netherlands; Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk 3900, Greenland
| | - Søren Rysgaard
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Section for Aquatic Biology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Leendert Vergeynst
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Centre for Water Technology (WATEC), Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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Gomes A, Christensen JH, Gründger F, Kjeldsen KU, Rysgaard S, Vergeynst L. Biodegradation of water-accommodated aromatic oil compounds in Arctic seawater at 0 °C. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 286:131751. [PMID: 34399257 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Oil spills in Arctic marine environments are expected to increase concurrently with the expansion of shipping routes and petroleum exploitation into previously inaccessible ice-dominated regions. Most research on oil biodegradation focusses on the bulk oil, but the fate of the water-accommodated fraction (WAF), mainly composed of toxic aromatic compounds, is largely underexplored. To evaluate the bacterial degradation capacity of such dissolved aromatics in Greenlandic seawater, microcosms consisting of 0 °C seawater polluted with WAF were investigated over a 3-month period. With a half-life (t1/2) of 26 days, m-xylene was the fastest degraded compound, as measured by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. Substantial slower degradation was observed for ethylbenzene, naphthalenes, phenanthrene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene and fluorenes with t1/2 of 40-105 days. Colwellia, identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, was the main potential degrader of m-xylene. This genus occupied up to 47 % of the bacterial community until day 10 in the microcosms. Cycloclasticus and Zhongshania aliphaticivorans, potentially utilizing one-to three-ringed aromatics, replaced Colwellia between day 10 and 96 and occupied up to 6 % and 23 % of the community, respectively. Although most of the WAF can ultimately be eliminated in microcosms, our results suggest that the restoration of an oil-impacted Arctic environment may be slow as most analysed compounds had t1/2 of over 2-3 months and the detrimental effects of a spill towards the marine ecosystem likely persist during this time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Gomes
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Jan H Christensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Friederike Gründger
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kasper Urup Kjeldsen
- Section for Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Søren Rysgaard
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Centre for Earth Observation Science, CHR Faculty of Environment Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Leendert Vergeynst
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology (WATEC), Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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Microbial Community Dynamics during Biodegradation of Crude Oil and Its Response to Biostimulation in Svalbard Seawater at Low Temperature. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9122425. [PMID: 34946026 PMCID: PMC8707851 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of oil exploration activities and an increase in shipping in Arctic areas have increased the risk of oil spills in this cold marine environment. The objective of this experimental study was to assess the effect of biostimulation on microbial community abundance, structure, dynamics, and metabolic potential for oil hydrocarbon degradation in oil-contaminated Arctic seawater. The combination of amplicon-based and shotgun sequencing, together with the integration of genome-resolved metagenomics and omics data, was applied to assess microbial community structure and metabolic properties in naphthenic crude oil-amended microcosms. The comparison of estimates for oil-degrading microbial taxa obtained with different sequencing and taxonomic assignment methods showed substantial discrepancies between applied methods. Consequently, the data acquired with different methods was integrated for the analysis of microbial community structure, and amended with quantitative PCR, producing a more objective description of microbial community dynamics and evaluation of the effect of biostimulation on particular microbial taxa. Implementing biostimulation of the seawater microbial community with the addition of nutrients resulted in substantially elevated prokaryotic community abundance (103-fold), a distinctly different bacterial community structure from that in the initial seawater, 1.3-fold elevation in the normalized abundance of hydrocarbon degradation genes, and 12% enhancement of crude oil biodegradation. The bacterial communities in biostimulated microcosms after four months of incubation were dominated by Gammaproteobacterial genera Pseudomonas, Marinomonas, and Oleispira, which were succeeded by Cycloclasticus and Paraperlucidibaca after eight months of incubation. The majority of 195 compiled good-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) exhibited diverse hydrocarbon degradation gene profiles. The results reveal that biostimulation with nutrients promotes naphthenic oil degradation in Arctic seawater, but this strategy alone might not be sufficient to effectively achieve bioremediation goals within a reasonable timeframe.
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The effect of pressure variation on droplet size distribution of dispersed oil under simulated deep-water conditions. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06291. [PMID: 33748451 PMCID: PMC7966848 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Droplet size distribution of dispersed oil in deep-water is critical to the transport and biodegradation of spilled oil in deep-sea. Few studies have focused on the effects of pressure on chemically dispersed oil through experiments. This study thus simulated how the crude oil homogenously pre-dispersed by Corexit 9500A using baffled flasks would behave after being exposed to deep-water conditions. Key factors included dispersant-to-oil ratio (DOR), mixing energy (energy dissipation rate and Kolmogorov microscale), and pressure (up to 150 bar). The variations of pressure were demonstrated to have insignificant effects on the size distribution of pre-dispersed oil. Both the average and medium droplet sizes were correlated negatively with DOR and mixing energy in an established model with a p-value ≤ 0.0011. The log-normal and log-logistic distributions provided a reasonable fit to simulate the droplet size distribution. The two parameters of log-logistic distribution were dependent on DOR and mixing energy with a p-value < 0.005. The results would be valuable to advance the understanding of the behaviours and trajectories of chemically dispersed oil under deep-water conditions. The research helped provide more scientific evidence to improve the understanding of dispersed oil behaviours under high pressure and support deep-sea oil spill research and potential extension of the existing results from shallow water to deep water conditions.
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Varjani S, Pandey A, Upasani VN. Oilfield waste treatment using novel hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial consortium - A microcosm approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 745:141043. [PMID: 32717605 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Oily sludge is a hazardous waste generated through petroleum producing and processing industrial units. Due to its harmful environmental impacts, it needs to be treated in sustainable manner. The present study aimed to evaluate influence of bioaugmentation on oily sludge biodegradation efficiency of a novel hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial consortium (HUBC) using microcosms. Three approaches (bioaugmentation, natural attenuation and abiotic factors) were used for microcosm studies. Bioaugmentation treatment showed best results for oily sludge degradation than natural attenuation and abiotic factors, resulting 82.13 ± 1.21% oily sludge degradation in 56 days. In bioaugmented microcosm on 56th day 0.30 ± 0.07 × 108 CFU/g hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria were noted. Results showed that HUBC could be used to remediate soil polluted with oily sludge. This study imparts a notable approach for farming application(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunita Varjani
- Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gandhinagar 382010, Gujarat, India.
| | - Ashok Pandey
- Centre of Innovation and Translation Research, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow 226 001, India
| | - Vivek N Upasani
- Department of Microbiology, M. G. Science Institute, Ahmedabad 380009, Gujarat, India
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The Interactive Effects of Crude Oil and Corexit 9500 on Their Biodegradation in Arctic Seawater. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.01194-20. [PMID: 32826215 PMCID: PMC7580538 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01194-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical dispersants such as Corexit 9500 are commonly used in oil spill response and are currently under consideration for use in the Arctic, where their fate and effects have not been well studied. This research was performed to determine the interactive effects of the copresence of crude oil and Corexit 9500 on the degradation of components from each mixture and the associated microbial community structure over time in Arctic seawater. These findings will help yield a better understanding of the biodegradability of dispersant components applied to an oil spill, the temporal microbial community response to dispersed oil, and the fundamental microbial ecology of organic contaminant biodegradation processes in the Arctic marine environment. The risk of petroleum spills coupled with the potential application of chemical dispersants as a spill response strategy necessitates further understanding of the fate of oil and dispersants and their interactive effects during biodegradation. Using Arctic seawater mesocosms amended with either crude oil, Corexit 9500, or both together, we quantified the chemical losses of crude oil and Corexit 9500 and identified microbial taxa implicated in their biodegradation based on shifts in the microbial community structure over a 30-day time course. Chemical analyses included total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), n-alkanes, branched alkanes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for oil loss and the surfactant components dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS), Span 80, Tween 80, Tween 85, and the DOSS metabolite ethylhexyl sulfosuccinate (EHSS) for Corexit loss. Changes to the microbial communities and identification of key taxa were determined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The nonionic surfactants of Corexit 9500 (Span 80 and Tweens 80 and 85) biodegraded rapidly, dropping to below the limits of detection within 5 days and prior to any detectable initiation of oil biodegradation. This resulted in no observable suppression of petroleum biodegradation in the presence of Corexit compared to that of oil alone. In contrast, biodegradation of DOSS was delayed in the presence of oil, based on the prolonged presence of DOSS and accumulation of the degradation intermediate EHSS that did not occur in the absence of oil. Microbial analyses revealed that oil and Corexit enriched different overall microbial communities, with the presence of both resulting in a community composition that shifted from one more similar to that of Corexit only to one reflecting the oil-only community over time, in parallel with the degradation of predominantly Corexit and then oil components. Some microbial taxa (Oleispira, Pseudofulvibacter, and Roseobacter) responded to either oil or Corexit, suggesting that some organisms may be capable of utilizing both substrates. Together, these findings reveal interactive effects of crude oil and Corexit 9500 on chemical losses and microbial communities as they biodegrade, providing further insight into their fate when copresent in the environment. IMPORTANCE Chemical dispersants such as Corexit 9500 are commonly used in oil spill response and are currently under consideration for use in the Arctic, where their fate and effects have not been well studied. This research was performed to determine the interactive effects of the copresence of crude oil and Corexit 9500 on the degradation of components from each mixture and the associated microbial community structure over time in Arctic seawater. These findings will help yield a better understanding of the biodegradability of dispersant components applied to an oil spill, the temporal microbial community response to dispersed oil, and the fundamental microbial ecology of organic contaminant biodegradation processes in the Arctic marine environment.
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Lofthus S, Bakke I, Tremblay J, Greer CW, Brakstad OG. Biodegradation of weathered crude oil in seawater with frazil ice. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 154:111090. [PMID: 32319919 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
As ice extent in the Arctic is declining, oil and gas activities will increase, with higher risk of oil spills to the marine environment. To determine biotransformation of dispersed weathered oil in newly formed ice, oil dispersions (2-3 ppm) were incubated in a mixture of natural seawater and frazil ice for 125 days at -2 °C. Dispersed oil in seawater without frazil ice were included in the experimental setup. Presence or absence of frazil ice was a strong driver for microbial community structures and affected the rate of oil degradation. n-alkanes were degraded faster in the presence of frazil ice, the opposite was the case for naphthalenes and 2-3 ring PAHs. No degradation of 4-6 ring PAHs was observed in any of the treatments. The total petroleum oil was not degraded to any significant degree, suggesting that oil will freeze into the ice matrix and persist throughout the icy season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Synnøve Lofthus
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Trondheim, Norway; SINTEF Ocean AS, Environment and New Resources, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Ingrid Bakke
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Julien Tremblay
- National Research Council Canada, Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Charles W Greer
- National Research Council Canada, Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Vergeynst L, Greer CW, Mosbech A, Gustavson K, Meire L, Poulsen KG, Christensen JH. Biodegradation, Photo-oxidation, and Dissolution of Petroleum Compounds in an Arctic Fjord during Summer. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:12197-12206. [PMID: 31566367 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b03336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Increased economic activity in the Arctic may increase the risk of oil spills. Yet, little is known about the degradation of oil spills by solar radiation and the impact of nutrient limitation on oil biodegradation under Arctic conditions. We deployed adsorbents coated with thin oil films for up to 4 months in a fjord in SW Greenland to simulate and investigate in situ biodegradation and photo-oxidation of dispersed oil droplets. Oil compound depletion by dissolution, biodegradation, and photo-oxidation was untangled by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based oil fingerprinting. Biodegradation was limited by low nutrient concentrations, reaching 97% removal of nC13-26-alkanes only after 112 days. Sequencing of bacterial DNA showed the slow development of a bacterial biofilm on the oil films predominated by the known oil degrading bacteria Oleispira, Alkanindiges and Cycloclasticus. These taxa could be related to biodegradation of shorter-chain (≤C26) alkanes, longer-chain (≥C16) and branched alkanes, and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), respectively. The combination of biodegradation, dissolution, and photo-oxidation depleted most PACs at substantially faster rates than the biodegradation of alkanes. In Arctic fjords during summer, nutrient limitation may severely delay oil biodegradation, but in the photic zone, photolytic transformation of PACs may play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Charles W Greer
- National Research Council Canada , Montreal H4P 2R2 , Quebec , Canada
| | | | | | - Lorenz Meire
- Greenland Climate Research Centre , Greenland Institute of Natural Resources , Nuuk 3900 , Greenland
- Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research , Utrecht University , Yerseke 4401 NT , The Netherlands
| | - Kristoffer G Poulsen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science , University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen 1871 , Denmark
| | - Jan H Christensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science , University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen 1871 , Denmark
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Cappello S, Cruz Viggi C, Yakimov M, Rossetti S, Matturro B, Molina L, Segura A, Marqués S, Yuste L, Sevilla E, Rojo F, Sherry A, Mejeha OK, Head IM, Malmquist L, Christensen JH, Kalogerakis N, Aulenta F. Combining electrokinetic transport and bioremediation for enhanced removal of crude oil from contaminated marine sediments: Results of a long-term, mesocosm-scale experiment. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 157:381-395. [PMID: 30974287 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.03.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Marine sediments represent an important sink of harmful petroleum hydrocarbons after an accidental oil spill. Electrobioremediation techniques, which combine electrokinetic transport and biodegradation processes, represent an emerging technological platform for a sustainable remediation of contaminated sediments. Here, we describe the results of a long-term mesocosm-scale electrobioremediation experiment for the treatment of marine sediments contaminated by crude oil. A dimensionally stable anode and a stainless-steel mesh cathode were employed to drive seawater electrolysis at a fixed current density of 11 A/m2. This approach allowed establishing conditions conducive to contaminants biodegradation, as confirmed by the enrichment of Alcanivorax borkumensis cells harboring the alkB-gene and other aerobic hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria. Oil chemistry analyses indicated that aromatic hydrocarbons were primarily removed from the sediment via electroosmosis and low molecular weight alkanes (nC6 to nC10) via biodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Cappello
- Institute for Coastal Marine Environment (IAMC), National Research Council (CNR), Messina, Italy
| | - C Cruz Viggi
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Monterotondo, RM, Italy
| | - M Yakimov
- Institute for Coastal Marine Environment (IAMC), National Research Council (CNR), Messina, Italy
| | - S Rossetti
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Monterotondo, RM, Italy
| | - B Matturro
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Monterotondo, RM, Italy
| | - L Molina
- Environmental Protection Department, Estación Experimental Del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - A Segura
- Environmental Protection Department, Estación Experimental Del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - S Marqués
- Environmental Protection Department, Estación Experimental Del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - L Yuste
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - E Sevilla
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - F Rojo
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - A Sherry
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - O K Mejeha
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - I M Head
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - L Malmquist
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J H Christensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - N Kalogerakis
- School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece
| | - F Aulenta
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Monterotondo, RM, Italy.
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12
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Desmond DS, Saltymakova D, Neusitzer TD, Firoozy N, Isleifson D, Barber DG, Stern GA. Oil behavior in sea ice: Changes in chemical composition and resultant effect on sea ice dielectrics. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 142:216-233. [PMID: 31232297 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
There has been increasing urgency to develop methods for detecting oil in sea ice owing to the effects of climate change in the Arctic. A multidisciplinary study of crude oil behavior in a sea ice environment was conducted at the University of Manitoba during the winter of 2016. In the experiment, medium-light crude oil was injected underneath young sea ice in a mesocosm. The physical and thermodynamic properties of the oil-infiltrated sea ice were monitored over a three-week time span, with concomitant analysis of the oil composition using analytical instrumentation. A resonant perturbation technique was used to measure the oil dielectric properties, and the contaminated sea ice dielectric properties were modeled using a mixture model approach. Results showed that the interactions between the oil and sea ice altered their physical and thermodynamic properties. These changes led to an overall decrease in sea ice dielectrics, potentially detectable by remote sensing systems.
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13
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Vergeynst L, Christensen JH, Kjeldsen KU, Meire L, Boone W, Malmquist LMV, Rysgaard S. In situ biodegradation, photooxidation and dissolution of petroleum compounds in Arctic seawater and sea ice. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 148:459-468. [PMID: 30408732 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.10.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In pristine sea ice-covered Arctic waters the potential of natural attenuation of oil spills has yet to be uncovered, but increasing shipping and oil exploitation may bring along unprecedented risks of oil spills. We deployed adsorbents coated with thin oil films for up to 2.5 month in ice-covered seawater and sea ice in Godthaab Fjord, SW Greenland, to simulate and investigate in situ biodegradation and photooxidation of dispersed oil. GC-MS-based chemometric methods for oil fingerprinting were used to identify characteristic signatures for dissolution, biodegradation and photooxidation. In sub-zero temperature seawater, fast degradation of n-alkanes was observed with estimated half-life times of ∼7 days. PCR amplicon sequencing and qPCR quantification of bacterial genes showed that a biofilm with a diverse microbial community colonised the oil films, yet a population related to the psychrophilic hydrocarbonoclastic gammaproteobacterium Oleispira antarctica seemed to play a key role in n-alkane degradation. Although Oleispira populations were also present in sea ice, we found that biofilms in sea ice had 25 to 100 times lower bacterial densities than in seawater, which explained the non-detectable n-alkane degradation in sea ice. Fingerprinting revealed that photooxidation, but not biodegradation, transformed polycyclic aromatic compounds through 50 cm-thick sea ice and in the upper water column with removal rates up to ∼1% per day. Overall, our results showed a fast biodegradation of n-alkanes in sea ice-covered seawater, but suggested that oils spills will expose the Arctic ecosystem to bio-recalcitrant PACs over prolonged periods of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leendert Vergeynst
- Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Section for Microbiology and Center for Geomicrobiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Jan H Christensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper Urup Kjeldsen
- Section for Microbiology and Center for Geomicrobiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lorenz Meire
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland; Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research, Utrecht University, Yerseke, Netherlands
| | - Wieter Boone
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Linus M V Malmquist
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Rysgaard
- Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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14
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Brakstad OG, Davies EJ, Ribicic D, Winkler A, Brönner U, Netzer R. Biodegradation of dispersed oil in natural seawaters from Western Greenland and a Norwegian fjord. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-018-2380-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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15
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Vergeynst L, Kjeldsen KU, Lassen P, Rysgaard S. Bacterial community succession and degradation patterns of hydrocarbons in seawater at low temperature. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2018; 353:127-134. [PMID: 29660698 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.03.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The risk of oil spills in cold marine environments is expected to increase in response to trans-Arctic shipping and as Arctic oil reserves get exploited. Marine hydrocarbon-degrading microbes can reduce the impact of spilled hydrocarbons, but their degradation capabilities at low temperature are yet to be uncovered. We combined DNA amplicon sequencing and chemometrics to investigate the effect of decreasing temperature (0-15 °C) on the succession and function of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in seawater. The bacterial community and degradation patterns were investigated at time points when a similar amount of hydrocarbons was mineralised at the different temperatures. This allowed decomposing the effect of temperature into a main component related to the reduced microbial activity at low temperature and a secondary effect. The reduced microbial activity at low temperature delayed the microbial community succession and degradation rates. The secondary effect of temperature was most pronounced at 0 °C, where (1) degradation of the least water-soluble n-alkanes (>C12) was suppressed in contrast to a relative stronger degradation of the most water-soluble n-alkanes (<C12) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; and (2) bacterial taxa which we identified as psychrosensitive were inhibited, whereas taxa identified as psychrophilic flourished.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leendert Vergeynst
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Center for Geomicrobiology, Section for Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Kasper U Kjeldsen
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Section for Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Pia Lassen
- Department of Environmental Science, Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Søren Rysgaard
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Center for Earth and Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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16
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Lewis A, Prince RC. Integrating Dispersants in Oil Spill Response in Arctic and Other Icy Environments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:6098-6112. [PMID: 29709187 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b06463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Future oil exploration and marine navigation may well extend into the Arctic Ocean, and government agencies and responders need to plan for accidental oil spills. We argue that dispersants should play an important role in these plans, since they have substantial logistical benefits, work effectively under Arctic conditions, and stimulate the rapid biodegradation of spilled oil. They also minimize the risk of surface slicks to birds and mammals, the stranding of oil on fragile shorelines and minimize the need for large work crews to be exposed to Arctic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roger C Prince
- Stonybrook Apiary, Pittstown , New Jersey 08867 , United States
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17
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Vergeynst L, Wegeberg S, Aamand J, Lassen P, Gosewinkel U, Fritt-Rasmussen J, Gustavson K, Mosbech A. Biodegradation of marine oil spills in the Arctic with a Greenland perspective. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 626:1243-1258. [PMID: 29898532 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
New economic developments in the Arctic, such as shipping and oil exploitation, bring along unprecedented risks of marine oil spills. Microorganisms have played a central role in degrading and reducing the impact of the spilled oil during past oil disasters. However, in the Arctic, and in particular in its pristine areas, the self-cleaning capacity and biodegradation potential of the natural microbial communities have yet to be uncovered. This review compiles and investigates the current knowledge with respect to environmental parameters and biochemical constraints that control oil biodegradation in the Arctic. Hereby, seawaters off Greenland are considered as a case study. Key factors for biodegradation include the bioavailability of hydrocarbons, the presence of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and the availability of nutrients. We show how these key factors may be influenced by the physical oceanographic conditions in seawaters off Greenland and other environmental parameters including low temperature, sea ice, sunlight regime, suspended sediment plumes and phytoplankton blooms that characterize the Arctic. Based on the acquired insights, a first qualitative assessment of the biodegradation potential in seawaters off Greenland is presented. In addition to the most apparent Arctic characteristics, such as low temperature and sea ice, the impact of typical Arctic features such as the oligotrophic environment, poor microbial adaptation to hydrocarbon degradation, mixing of stratified water masses, and massive phytoplankton blooms and suspended sediment plumes merit to be topics of future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leendert Vergeynst
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark.
| | - Susse Wegeberg
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Jens Aamand
- Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Denmark
| | - Pia Lassen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | | | | | - Kim Gustavson
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Anders Mosbech
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark
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18
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Ribicic D, Netzer R, Winkler A, Brakstad OG. Microbial communities in seawater from an Arctic and a temperate Norwegian fjord and their potentials for biodegradation of chemically dispersed oil at low seawater temperatures. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 129:308-317. [PMID: 29680553 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Biodegradation of chemically dispersed oil at low temperature (0-2 °C) was compared in natural seawater from Arctic (Svalbard) and a temperate (Norway) fjords. The oil was premixed with a dispersant (Corexit 9500) and small-droplet oil dispersions prepared. Faster biotransformation of n-alkanes in the Arctic than in the temperate seawater were associated with the initially higher abundance of the alkane-degrading genus Oleispira in the Arctic than the temperate seawater. Comparable transformation of aromatic hydrocarbons was further associated with the late emergences Cycloclasticus in both seawater sources. The results showed that chemically dispersed oil may be rapidly biodegraded by microbial communities in Arctic seawater. Compared to oil biodegradation studies at higher seawater temperatures, longer lag-periods were experienced here, and may be attributed to both microbial and oil properties at these low seawater temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deni Ribicic
- The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Dept. Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Roman Netzer
- SINTEF Ocean, Dept. Environmental Technology, Brattørkaia 17C, 7010 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Anika Winkler
- Bielefeld University, Centre for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Odd Gunnar Brakstad
- SINTEF Ocean, Dept. Environmental Technology, Brattørkaia 17C, 7010 Trondheim, Norway.
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