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Chen X, Xia Y, Wu Y, Xu Y, Jia X, Zare RN, Wang F. Sprayed Oil-Water Microdroplets as a Hydrogen Source. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:10868-10874. [PMID: 38573037 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c01455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Liquid water provides the largest hydrogen reservoir on the earth's surface. Direct utilization of water as a source of hydrogen atoms and molecules is fundamental to the evolution of the ecosystem and industry. However, liquid water is an unfavorable electron donor for forming these hydrogen species owing to its redox inertness. We report oil-mediated electron extraction from water microdroplets, which is easily achieved by ultrasonically spraying an oil-water emulsion. Based on charge measurement and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, contact electrification between oil and a water microdroplet is demonstrated to be the origin of electron extraction from water molecules. This contact electrification results in enhanced charge separation and subsequent mutual neutralization, which enables a ∼13-fold increase of charge carriers in comparison with an ultrapure water spray, leading to a ∼16-fold increase of spray-sourced hydrogen that can hydrogenate CO2 to selectively produce CO. These findings emphasize the potential of charge separation enabled by spraying an emulsion of liquid water and a hydrophobic liquid in driving hydrogenation reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuke Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Yu Xia
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Yingfeng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, P. R. China
| | - Yunpeng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Xiuquan Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Richard N Zare
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Feng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
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Kharey GS, Palace V, Whyte L, Greer CW. Influence of heavy Canadian crude oil on pristine freshwater boreal lake ecosystems in an experimental oil spill. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae054. [PMID: 38650065 PMCID: PMC11065361 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The overall impact of a crude oil spill into a pristine freshwater environment in Canada is largely unknown. To evaluate the impact on the native microbial community, a large-scale in situ model experimental spill was conducted to assess the potential role of the natural community to attenuate hydrocarbons. A small volume of conventional heavy crude oil (CHV) was introduced within contained mesocosm enclosures deployed on the shoreline of a freshwater lake. The oil was left to interact with the shoreline for 72 h and then free-floating oil was recovered using common oil spill response methods (i.e. freshwater flushing and capture on oleophilic absorptive media). Residual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations returned to near preoiling concentrations within 2 months, while the microbial community composition across the water, soil, and sediment matrices of the enclosed oligotrophic freshwater ecosystems did not shift significantly over this period. Metagenomic analysis revealed key polycyclic aromatic and alkane degradation mechanisms also did not change in their relative abundance over the monitoring period. These trends suggest that for small spills (<2 l of oil per 15 m2 of surface freshwater), physical oil recovery reduces polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations to levels tolerated by the native microbial community. Additionally, the native microbial community present in the monitored pristine freshwater ecosystem possesses the appropriate hydrocarbon degradation mechanisms without prior challenge by hydrocarbon substrates. This study corroborated trends found previously (Kharey et al. 2024) toward freshwater hydrocarbon degradation in an environmentally relevant scale and conditions on the tolerance of residual hydrocarbons in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurpreet S Kharey
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Rd Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9S, Canada
| | - Vince Palace
- International Institute for Sustainable Development – Experimental Lakes Area, Pine Rd, Kenora, Unorganized Ontario, P0V 2V0, Canada
| | - Lyle Whyte
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Rd Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9S, Canada
| | - Charles W Greer
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Rd Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9S, Canada
- National Research Council Canada, Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, 6100 Royalmount Ave., Montreal, Quebec, H4P 2R2, Canada
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Kharey GS, Palace V, Whyte L, Greer CW. Native freshwater lake microbial community response to an in situ experimental dilbit spill. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae055. [PMID: 38650064 PMCID: PMC11068069 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
With the increase in crude oil transport throughout Canada, the potential for spills into freshwater ecosystems has increased and additional research is needed in these sensitive environments. Large enclosures erected in a lake were used as mesocosms for this controlled experimental dilbit (diluted bitumen) spill under ambient environmental conditions. The microbial response to dilbit, the efficacy of standard remediation protocols on different shoreline types commonly found in Canadian freshwater lakes, including a testing of a shoreline washing agent were all evaluated. We found that the native microbial community did not undergo any significant shifts in composition after exposure to dilbit or the ensuing remediation treatments. Regardless of the treatment, sample type (soil, sediment, or water), or type of associated shoreline, the community remained relatively consistent over a 3-month monitoring period. Following this, metagenomic analysis of polycyclic aromatic and alkane hydrocarbon degradation mechanisms also showed that while many key genes identified in PAH and alkane biodegradation were present, their abundance did not change significantly over the course of the experiment. These results showed that the native microbial community present in a pristine freshwater lake has the prerequisite mechanisms for hydrocarbon degradation in place, and combined with standard remediation practices in use in Canada, has the genetic potential and resilience to potentially undertake bioremediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurpreet S Kharey
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Rd Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Vince Palace
- International Institute for Sustainable Development – Experimental Lakes Area, Pine Rd, Kenora, Unorganized Ontario, P0V 2V0, Canada
| | - Lyle Whyte
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Rd Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Charles W Greer
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Rd Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada
- National Research Council Canada, Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, 6100 Royalmount Ave., Montreal, Quebec, H4P 2R2, Canada
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Deachophon A, Bovornratanaraks T, Poompradub S. Modified silica-based double-layered hydrophobic-coated stainless steel mesh and its application for oil/seawater separation. Sci Rep 2024; 14:731. [PMID: 38184703 PMCID: PMC10771502 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51264-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
A double-layered hydrophobic-coated stainless steel mesh (CSSM) was successfully prepared by vapor deposition of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to form aerosol silica (SiO2) particles on SSM followed by coating with the in situ modified SiO2 generated in the natural rubber (NR) latex for use in oil/seawater separation. The in situ SiO2 particles were modified with octyltriethoxysilane (OTES) or hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS). Transmission electron microscopy, 29Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to determine the structure of the in situ modified SiO2 generated in the NR latex. Scanning electron microscopy and water contact angle analyses were applied to characterize the morphology and hydrophobicity of the CSSM, respectively. The presence of aerosol SiO2 particles from PDMS and in situ modified SiO2 by OTES (MSi-O) or HDTMS (MSi-H) generated in the NR could enhance the surface roughness and hydrophobicity of the CSSM. The hydrophobic CSSM was then applied for the separation of chloroform/seawater and crude oil/seawater mixtures. A high separation efficiency (up to 99.3%) with the PDMS/NR/MSi-H CSSM was obtained and the mesh was reusable for up to 20 cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aunchalee Deachophon
- Department of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phatumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Thiti Bovornratanaraks
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phatumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Sirilux Poompradub
- Department of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phatumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
- Center of Excellent in Green Materials for Industrial Application, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phatumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
- Center of Excellence on Petrochemical and Materials Technology, Chulalongkorn University, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
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Fenibo EO, Selvarajan R, Abia ALK, Matambo T. Medium-chain alkane biodegradation and its link to some unifying attributes of alkB genes diversity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 877:162951. [PMID: 36948313 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Hydrocarbon footprints in the environment, via biosynthesis, natural seepage, anthropogenic activities and accidents, affect the ecosystem and induce a shift in the healthy biogeochemical equilibrium that drives needed ecological services. In addition, these imbalances cause human diseases and reduce animal and microorganism diversity. Microbial bioremediation, which capitalizes on functional genes, is a sustainable mitigation option for cleaning hydrocarbon-impacted environments. This review focuses on the bacterial alkB functional gene, which codes for a non-heme di‑iron monooxygenase (AlkB) with a di‑iron active site that catalyzes C8-C16 medium-chain alkane metabolism. These enzymes are ubiquitous and share common attributes such as being controlled by global transcriptional regulators, being a component of most super hydrocarbon degraders, and their distributions linked to horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events. The phylogenetic approach used in the HGT detection suggests that AlkB tree topology clusters bacteria functionally and that a preferential gradient dictates gene distribution. The alkB gene also acts as a biomarker for bioremediation, although it is found in pristine environments and absent in some hydrocarbon degraders. For instance, a quantitative molecular method has failed to link alkB copy number to contamination concentration levels. This limitation may be due to AlkB homologues, which have other functions besides n-alkane assimilation. Thus, this review, which focuses on Pseudomonas putida GPo1 alkB, shows that AlkB proteins are diverse but have some unifying trends around hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria; it is erroneous to rely on alkB detection alone as a monitoring parameter for hydrocarbon degradation, alkB gene distribution are preferentially distributed among bacteria, and the plausible explanation for AlkB affiliation to broad-spectrum metabolism of hydrocarbons in super-degraders hitherto reported. Overall, this review provides a broad perspective of the ecology of alkB-carrying bacteria and their directed biodegradation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Oliver Fenibo
- World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence, Centre for Oilfield Chemical Research, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt 500272, Nigeria
| | - Ramganesh Selvarajan
- Laboratory of Extraterrestrial Ocean Systems (LEOS), Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China; Department of Environmental Science, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, 1710, South Africa
| | - Akebe Luther King Abia
- Department of Environmental Science, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, 1710, South Africa; Environmental Research Foundation, Westville 3630, South Africa
| | - Tonderayi Matambo
- Institute for the Development of Energy for African Sustainability, University of South Africa, Roodepoort 1709, South Africa.
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