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Niu Y, Wang Z, Xiong Y, Wang Y, Chai L, Guo C. Exploring the Potential of Microbial Coalbed Methane for Sustainable Energy Development. Molecules 2024; 29:3494. [PMID: 39124898 PMCID: PMC11313768 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29153494] [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: 06/26/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
By allowing coal to be converted by microorganisms into products like methane, hydrogen, methanol, ethanol, and other products, current coal deposits can be used effectively, cleanly, and sustainably. The intricacies of in situ microbial coal degradation must be understood in order to develop innovative energy production strategies and economically viable industrial microbial mining. This review covers various forms of conversion (such as the use of MECoM, which converts coal into hydrogen), stresses, and in situ use. There is ongoing discussion regarding the effectiveness of field-scale pilot testing when translated to commercial production. Assessing the applicability and long-term viability of MECoM technology will require addressing these knowledge gaps. Developing suitable nutrition plans and utilizing lab-generated data in the field are examples of this. Also, we recommend directions for future study to maximize methane production from coal. Microbial coal conversion technology needs to be successful in order to be resolved and to be a viable, sustainable energy source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Niu
- School of Electric Power, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; (Z.W.); (Y.X.); (Y.W.); (C.G.)
| | - Zhiqian Wang
- School of Electric Power, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; (Z.W.); (Y.X.); (Y.W.); (C.G.)
| | - Yingying Xiong
- School of Electric Power, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; (Z.W.); (Y.X.); (Y.W.); (C.G.)
| | - Yuqi Wang
- School of Electric Power, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; (Z.W.); (Y.X.); (Y.W.); (C.G.)
| | - Lin Chai
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Reaction Engineering and Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
| | - Congxiu Guo
- School of Electric Power, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; (Z.W.); (Y.X.); (Y.W.); (C.G.)
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2
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Mukherjee D, Selvi VA, Ganguly J, Masto RE. New insights into the coal-associated methane architect: the ancient archaebacteria. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:234. [PMID: 38664262 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03961-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Exploration and marketable exploitation of coalbed methane (CBM) as cleaner fuel has been started globally. In addition, incidence of methane in coal basins is an imperative fraction of global carbon cycle. Significantly, subsurface coal ecosystem contains methane forming archaea. There is a rising attention in optimizing microbial coal gasification to exploit the abundant or inexpensive coal reserves worldwide. Therefore, it is essential to understand the coalbeds in geo-microbial perspective. Current review provides an in-depth analysis of recent advances in our understanding of how methanoarchaea are distributed in coal deposits globally. Specially, we highlight the findings on coal-associated methanoarchaeal existence, abundance, diversity, metabolic activity, and biogeography in diverse coal basins worldwide. Growing evidences indicates that we have arrived an exciting era of archaeal research. Moreover, gasification of coal into methane by utilizing microbial methanogenesis is a considerable way to mitigate the energy crisis for the rising world population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diptangshu Mukherjee
- Industrial Biotechnology and Waste Utilization Research Group, CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Digwadih Campus, PO FRI, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 828108, India
| | - Vetrivel Angu Selvi
- Industrial Biotechnology and Waste Utilization Research Group, CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Digwadih Campus, PO FRI, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 828108, India.
| | - Jhuma Ganguly
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology Shibpur, PO Botanical Garden, Howrah, West Bengal, 711103, India
| | - Reginald Ebhin Masto
- Industrial Biotechnology and Waste Utilization Research Group, CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Digwadih Campus, PO FRI, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 828108, India
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3
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Li Y, Qin T, Liang Z, Zheng C. Oil Has a Higher Methanogenic Potential than Coal in an Oil-Bearing Coal Seam. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:23880-23888. [PMID: 37426218 PMCID: PMC10323961 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The presence of oil in coal seams from coal-oil symbiosis areas poses a serious threat to the safe and efficient mining of coal. However, the information about the application of microbial technology in oil-bearing coal seams was insufficient. In this study, the biological methanogenic potential of coal and oil samples in an oil-bearing coal seam was analyzed by anaerobic incubation experiments. The results showed that the biological methanogenic efficiency of the coal sample increased from 0.74 to 1.06 from day 20 to day 90, and the biological methanogenic potential of the oil sample was about twice as high as that of the coal sample after 40 days of incubation. The Shannon diversity and observed operational taxonomic unit (OTU) number of oil were lower than those in coal. The major genera in coal were Sedimentibacter, Lysinibacillus, Brevibacillus, etc., and the major genera in oil mainly included Enterobacter, Sporolactobacillus, and Bacillus. The methanogenic archaea in coal mainly belonged to the order Methanobacteriales, Methanocellales, Methanococcales, etc., and the methanogenic archaea in oil mainly belonged to the genera Methanobacterium, Methanobrevibacter, Methanoculleus, and Methanosarcina. In addition, metagenome analysis showed that functional genes belonging to processes such as methane metabolism, microbial metabolism in different environments, and benzoate degradation were in a higher abundance in the oil culture system, while genes belonging to sulfur metabolism, biotin metabolism, and glutathione metabolism were in a higher abundance in the coal culture system. The metabolites specific to coal samples mainly belonged to phenylpropanoids, polyketides, lipids, and lipid-like molecules; meanwhile, the metabolites specific to oil were mainly organic acids and their derivatives. In summary, this study has a reference value for the elimination of oil from coal in oil-bearing coal seams and can be used to separate oil from oil-bearing coal seams and reduce the hazard brought by oil for coal seam mining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- State
Key Laboratory of Mining Response and Disaster Prevention and Control
in Deep Coal Mines, Anhui University of
Science & Technology, Huainan 232001, Anhui, China
| | - TianQi Qin
- State
Key Laboratory of Mining Response and Disaster Prevention and Control
in Deep Coal Mines, Anhui University of
Science & Technology, Huainan 232001, Anhui, China
| | - Zhong Liang
- State
Key Laboratory of Mining Response and Disaster Prevention and Control
in Deep Coal Mines, Anhui University of
Science & Technology, Huainan 232001, Anhui, China
| | - Chunshan Zheng
- School
of Safety Science and Engineering, Anhui
University of Science & Technology, Huainan 232000, Anhui, China
- Joint
National-Local Engineering Research Centre for Safe and Precise Coal
Mining, Anhui University of Science &
Technology, Huainan 232001, Anhui, China
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4
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Li Y, Tang S, Chen J, Xi Z. Research Progress and Prospects on Microbial Response and Gas Potential in the Coal Gasification Process. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1293. [PMID: 37317267 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051293] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
As an essential unconventional natural gas resource, China's coalbed methane resources are only commercially exploited in a few areas, such as the Qinshui Basin and the Ordos. The rise of coalbed methane bioengineering makes it possible to realize the conversion and utilization of carbon dioxide through microbial action and the carbon cycle. According to the metabolic behavior of the underground microbial community, if the coal reservoir is modified, it may stimulate the microorganism to continuously produce biomethane to prolong the production life of depleted coalbed methane wells. This paper systematically discusses the microbial response to promoting microbial metabolism by nutrients (microbial stimulation), introducing exogenous microorganisms or domestication of in situ microorganisms (microbial enhancement), pretreating coal to change its physical or chemical properties to improve bioavailability, and improving environmental conditions. However, many problems must be solved before commercialization. The whole coal reservoir is regarded as a giant anaerobic fermentation system. Some issues still need to be solved during the implementation of coalbed methane bioengineering. Firstly, the metabolic mechanism of methanogenic microorganisms should be clarified. Secondly, it is urgent to study the optimization of high-efficiency hydrolysis bacteria and nutrient solutions in coal seams. Finally, the research on the underground microbial community ecosystem and biogeochemical cycle mechanism must be improved. The study provides a unique theory for the sustainable development of unconventional natural gas resources. Furthermore, it provides a scientific basis for realizing the carbon dioxide reuse and carbon element cycle in coalbed methane reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- School of Earth and Environment, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
- The Key Laboratory of Universities in Anhui Province for Prevention of Mine Geological Disasters, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
| | - Shuheng Tang
- School of Energy Resource, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Marine Reservoir Evolution and Hydrocarbon Enrichment Mechanism, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Strategy Evaluation for Shale Gas, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jian Chen
- School of Earth and Environment, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
- The Key Laboratory of Universities in Anhui Province for Prevention of Mine Geological Disasters, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
| | - Zhaodong Xi
- School of Energy Resource, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Marine Reservoir Evolution and Hydrocarbon Enrichment Mechanism, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Strategy Evaluation for Shale Gas, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing 100083, China
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Chen Z, Chen H, Zhu X, Xia D, Chen Y, Geng M, Bai Z. Physical, chemical, and bio-pretreatments on microbial gas production in Baode Block coal. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:5791-5798. [PMID: 35978250 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22527-6] [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: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Currently, the exploitation of Baode Block as a biogenic coal-bed gas field has been in the later stage of stable production; hence, exploration and activation of microbial gas production are of great practical significance for the enhancement and stabilization of block production. Pretreatment is the key process to improve anaerobic biodegradation performance and increase yield and production rate of gas. In this study, we examine physical, chemical, and biological pretreatment methods and compare their effectiveness toward microbial gas production in the coal seam. The obtained results indicate that: (1) grinding can enhance contact between the coal sample and bacteria liquid, and coal powder has greater gas-producing performance than the coal lump. (2) Chemical pretreatment of coal samples using acid and base can enhance gas production capacity. NaOH treatment has better gas-producing performance than HCl treatment, and the activity of microbial flora is higher after treatment. (3) Biological pretreatment can greatly enhance the microbial degradation of coal bed. The highest gas yield after white rot fungus pretreatment is 11.65 m3/t, and gas production cycle is shorter than before. This may be due to the white rot fungus effectively degrading macromolecules and, therefore, shortening the duration of methanogenic hydrolysis, which provides more organic matter for methanogens to decompose. During production, in addition to selecting a proper pretreatment method, the treatment cost and balance between energy input of pretreatment and gas energy output must also be considered. The joint pretreatment between different reagents and treatment methods is a possible solution to the problem and a current research trend to realize the large-scale degradation of coal. The simulated microbial methane production of coal seam is feasible for Baode Block in Ordos, where coal samples in this block have great gas-producing potential after treatment, and provides good references for further in-field tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhong Chen
- Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Xinfa Zhu
- CCDC Changqing Downhole Technology Company, Xi'an, 700021, China
| | - Daping Xia
- School of Energy Science and Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, China
| | - Yanpeng Chen
- Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Meng Geng
- Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Zhihao Bai
- School of Geology and Mining Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumchi, 830000, China
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6
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Ross DE, Lipus D, Gulliver D. Predominance of Methanomicrobiales and diverse hydrocarbon-degrading taxa in the Appalachian coalbed biosphere revealed through metagenomics and genome-resolved metabolisms. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:5984-5997. [PMID: 36251278 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Coalbed deposits are a unique subsurface environment and represent an underutilized resource for methane generation. Microbial communities extant in coalbed deposits are responsible for key subsurface biogeochemical cycling and could be utilized to enhance methane production in areas where existing gas wells have depleted methane stores, or in coalbeds that are unmined, or conversely be utilized for mitigation of methane release. Here we utilize metagenomics and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) to identify extant microbial lineages and genome-resolved microbial metabolisms of coalbed produced water, which has not yet been explored in the Appalachian Basin (AppB). Our analyses resulted in the recovery of over 40 MAGs from 8 coalbed methane wells. The most commonly identified taxa among samples were hydrogenotrophic methanogens from the order Methanomicrobiales and these dominant MAGs were highly similar to one another. Conversely, low-abundance coalbed bacterial populations were taxonomically and functionally diverse, mostly belonging to a variety of Proteobacteria classes, and encoding various hydrocarbon solubilization and degradation pathways. The data presented herein provides novel insights into AppB coalbed microbial ecology, and our findings provide new perspectives on underrepresented Methanocalculus species and low-relative abundance bacterial assemblages in coalbed environments, and their potential roles in stimulation or mitigation of methane release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Ross
- Research and Innovation Center, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Leidos Research Support Team (LRST), NETL Support Contractor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel Lipus
- Research and Innovation Center, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States.,Section Geomicrobiology, GFZ Geoforschungszentrum Potsdam, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany
| | - Djuna Gulliver
- Research and Innovation Center, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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7
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Hall SJ, Huang W, Napieralski SA, Roden E. Shared Microbial Taxa Respond Predictably to Cyclic Time-Varying Oxygen Limitation in Two Disparate Soils. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:866828. [PMID: 35722278 PMCID: PMC9203030 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.866828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Periodic oxygen (O2) limitation in humid terrestrial soils likely influences microbial composition, but whether communities share similar responses in disparate environments remains unclear. To test if specific microbial taxa share consistent responses to anoxia in radically different soils, we incubated a rainforest Oxisol and cropland Mollisol under cyclic, time-varying anoxic/oxic cycles in the laboratory. Both soils are known to experience anoxic periods of days to weeks under field conditions; our incubation treatments consisted of anoxic periods of 0, 2, 4, 8, or 12 d followed by 4 d of oxic conditions, repeated for a total of 384 d. Taxa measured by 16S rRNA gene sequences after 48 d and 384 d of experimental treatments varied strongly with increasing anoxic period duration, and responses to anoxia often differed between soils at multiple taxonomic levels. Only 19% of the 30,356 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) occurred in both soils, and most OTUs did not respond consistently to O2 treatments. However, the OTUs present in both soils were disproportionally abundant, comprising 50% of sequences, and they often had a similar response to anoxic period duration in both soils (p < 0.0001). Overall, 67 OTUs, 36 families, 15 orders, 10 classes, and two phyla had significant and directionally consistent (positive or negative) responses to anoxic period duration in both soils. Prominent OTUs and taxonomic groups increasing with anoxic period duration in both soils included actinomycetes (Micromonosporaceae), numerous Ruminococcaceae, possible metal reducers (Anaeromyxobacter) or oxidizers (Candidatus Koribacter), methanogens (Methanomicrobia), and methanotrophs (Methylocystaceae). OTUs decreasing with anoxic duration in both soils included nitrifiers (Nitrospira) and ubiquitous unidentified Bradyrhizobiaceae and Micromonosporaceae. Even within the same genus, different OTUs occasionally showed strong positive or negative responses to anoxic duration (e.g., Dactylosporangium in the Actinobacteria), highlighting a potential for adaptation or niche partitioning in variable-O2 environments. Overall, brief anoxic periods impacted the abundance of certain microbial taxa in predictable ways, suggesting that microbial community data may partially reflect and integrate spatiotemporal differences in O2 availability within and among soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Hall
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- *Correspondence: Steven J. Hall,
| | - Wenjuan Huang
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | | | - Eric Roden
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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8
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Delineating the Drivers and Functionality of Methanogenic Niches within an Arid Landfill. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0243821. [PMID: 35404071 PMCID: PMC9088289 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02438-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities mediate the transformation of organic matter within landfills into methane (CH4). Yet their ecological role in CH4 production is rarely evaluated. To characterize the microbiome associated with this biotransformation, the overall community and methanogenic Archaea were surveyed in an arid landfill using leachate collected from distinctly aged landfill cells (i.e., younger, intermediate, and older). We hypothesized that distinct methanogenic niches exist within an arid landfill, driven by geochemical gradients that developed under extended and age-dependent waste biodegradation stages. Using 16S rRNA and mcrA gene amplicon sequencing, we identified putative methanogenic niches as follows. The order Methanomicrobiales was the most abundant order in leachate from younger cells, where leachate temperature and propionate concentrations were measured at 41.8°C ± 1.7°C and 57.1 ± 10.7 mg L−1. In intermediate-aged cells, the family Methanocellaceae was identified as a putative specialist family under intermediate-temperature and -total dissolved solid (TDS) conditions, wherein samples had a higher alpha diversity index and near CH4 concentrations. In older-aged cells, accumulating metals and TDS supported Methanocorpusculaceae, “Candidatus Bathyarchaeota,” and “Candidatus Verstraetearchaeota” operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Consistent with the mcrA data, we assayed methanogenic activity across the age gradient through stable isotopic measurements of δ13C of CH4 and δ13C of CO2. The majority (80%) of the samples’ carbon fractionation was consistent with hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Together, we report age-dependent geochemical gradients detected through leachate in an arid landfill seemingly influencing CH4 production, niche partitioning, and methanogenic activity. IMPORTANCE Microbiome analysis is becoming common in select municipal and service ecosystems, including wastewater treatment and anaerobic digestion, but its potential as a microbial-status-informative tool to promote or mitigate CH4 production has not yet been evaluated in landfills. Methanogenesis mediated by Archaea is highly active in solid-waste microbiomes but is commonly neglected in studies employing next-generation sequencing techniques. Identifying methanogenic niches within a landfill offers detail into operations that positively or negatively impact the commercial production of methane known as biomethanation. We provide evidence that the geochemistry of leachate and its microbiome can be a variable accounting for ecosystem-level (coarse) variation of CH4 production, where we demonstrate through independent assessments of leachate and gas collection that the functional variability of an arid landfill is linked to the composition of methanogenic Archaea.
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Sun Z, Li X, Wang K, Wang F, Chen D, Li Z. Determination of Key Technical Parameters in the Study of New Pressure Sealing Technology for Coal Seam Gas Extraction. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19094968. [PMID: 35564362 PMCID: PMC9104883 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19094968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Coal is affected by the concentrated stress disturbance of mining, the disturbance of drilling hole formation, and the concentrated stress of coal shrinkage and splitting of gas desorption from the hole wall; these result in a large number of secondary cracks that collect and leak gas. As a result, it is difficult for the coal seam sealing process to meet engineering quality sealing requirements, which results in problems such as low gas concentration during the extraction process. In this paper, based on the analysis of coal pore and fissure characteristics, and in view of the current situation of gas drainage and sealing in this coal seam, combined with the existing grouting and sealing technology, it is proposed to use pressure grouting and sealing to realize the sealing of deep coal bodies in the hole wall. According to the field conditions, the experimental pressure sealing parameter index is as follows: theoretical sealing length L1 = 9.69 m, the sealing length L2 = 13.98 m is verified, and the final sealing length is determined to be 15 m; the sealing radius is determined to be 0.6 m; the cement slurry was prepared on site with a water: cement ratio of 2:1; PG = 0.43 MPa was calculated; the range of the slurry diffusion radius R was 93.4-176.6 cm; the grouting pressure was determined to be 0.516 MPa. Field application practice has proved that: (1) Under the same drilling parameters and sealing parameters, the gas drainage effect of drilling with pressure sealing is 2.3 times higher than that without pressure sealing; (2) Using traditional sealing technology for drilling holes, the gas extraction concentration is far lower than the sealing operation effect of using the pressure sealing process; (3) Reasonably extending the length of the gas extraction drilling and sealing is a basic guarantee for realizing a substantial increase in the gas extraction concentration; (4) Sealing with pressure leads to a reliable and stable hole process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongguang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of the Gas Disaster Detecting, Preventing and Emergency Controlling, Chongqing 400037, China; (Z.S.); (K.W.)
- China Coal Technology and Engineering Group Chongqing Research Institute, Chongqing 400039, China
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Xuelong Li
- College of Energy and Mining Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China; (D.C.); (Z.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Kequan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of the Gas Disaster Detecting, Preventing and Emergency Controlling, Chongqing 400037, China; (Z.S.); (K.W.)
- China Coal Technology and Engineering Group Chongqing Research Institute, Chongqing 400039, China
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Fakai Wang
- College of Mining Engineering, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang 550000, China;
| | - Deyou Chen
- College of Energy and Mining Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China; (D.C.); (Z.L.)
| | - Zhen Li
- College of Energy and Mining Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China; (D.C.); (Z.L.)
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10
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Gropp J, Jin Q, Halevy I. Controls on the isotopic composition of microbial methane. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm5713. [PMID: 35385305 PMCID: PMC8985922 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microbial methane production (methanogenesis) is responsible for more than half of the annual emissions of this major greenhouse gas to the atmosphere. Although the stable isotopic composition of methane is often used to characterize its sources and sinks, strictly empirical descriptions of the isotopic signature of methanogenesis currently limit these attempts. We developed a metabolic-isotopic model of methanogenesis by carbon dioxide reduction, which predicts carbon and hydrogen isotopic fractionations, and clumped isotopologue distributions, as functions of the cell's environment. We mechanistically explain multiple isotopic patterns in laboratory and natural settings and show that these patterns constrain the in situ energetics of methanogenesis. Combining our model with data from environments in which methanogenic activity is energy-limited, we provide predictions for the biomass-specific methanogenesis rates and the associated isotopic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Gropp
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Qusheng Jin
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Itay Halevy
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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11
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Hoang L, Tran NH, Urynowicz M, Dong VG, To KA, Huang Z, Nguyen LH, Pham TMP, Nguyen DD, Do CD, Le QH. The characteristics of coalbed water and coal in a coal seam situated in the Red River Basin, Vietnam. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:151056. [PMID: 34673062 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151056] [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: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An in-depth understanding of the hydrogeochemical characteristics of coal mines is helpful in establishing an effective and successful exploration program of coalbed methane (CBM). This study provides a comprehensive analysis of hydrogeological characteristics, characteristics of coalbed water, and characteristics of the coal sample from a coal seam located in the Red River Basin (RRB). These physicochemical characteristics along with the microbial composition of coalbed water were critically analyzed. A high concentration of chloride and sodium was found in the coalbed water, presumably due to the coal mine's stratigraphic association with marine or marine-transitional beds. A correlation between the occurrence of microbes and the chemical components in the coalbed water was established. The characteristics of the coal were systematically analyzed, including proximate, ultimate, and petrographic analyses. Based on the coal macerals, coal rank is classified as low-rank (sub-bituminous) with a vitrinite reflectance (Ro, max) of 0.36%, suggesting that this type of low-rank coal is favorable for biogenic methane generation. Pore structures and pore types were characterized using different methods, including low-temperature nitrogen adsorption/desorption (LTNA), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Coal from the study area has microporous and macroporous features. Pore types of the coal were also characterized using SEM. The primary genetic pore types of the Red River coal include plant tissue holes and blowholes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Hoang
- School of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet, Hanoi, Viet Nam; Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Phenikaa University, Yen Nghia, Ha Dong, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Ngoc Han Tran
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 1 Create Way, Create Tower, #15-02, Singapore 138602, Singapore.
| | - Michael Urynowicz
- Civil & Architectural Engineering Department, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Van Giap Dong
- General Department of Geology and Minerals of Viet Nam, No. 6 Pham Ngu Lao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Kim Anh To
- School of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Zaixing Huang
- Civil & Architectural Engineering Department, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA; Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Lan Huong Nguyen
- School of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Thi Mai Phuong Pham
- Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Duc Dung Nguyen
- Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Canh Duong Do
- General Department of Geology and Minerals of Viet Nam, No. 6 Pham Ngu Lao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Quoc Hung Le
- General Department of Geology and Minerals of Viet Nam, No. 6 Pham Ngu Lao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
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12
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Li J, Chen Q, Wang T, Wang H, Ni J. Hydrochemistry and nutrients determined the distribution of greenhouse gases in saline groundwater. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 286:117383. [PMID: 34058446 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The geography patterns and generation mechanisms of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in groundwater, especially in saline groundwater, are critical but rarely studied. Herein, we investigated the GHGs distribution in an aquifer, located upstream of Baiyangdian Lake, China, with a distinctive salinity gradient. A total of 132 groundwater samples were collected from 44 new-constructed wells along the lateral dimensions, and analyzed for dissolved GHGs concentrations, physiochemical parameters, and isotopes. The results showed that the dissolved CO2, CH4 and N2O concentrations ranged from 9.47 to 79.3 mg/L, 1.05-56.9 μg/L, and 0.84-7.03 μg/L, respectively. The groundwater was supersaturated with GHGs with respect to atmospheric equilibrium, suggesting groundwater discharge as a potential source of GHGs emission. CO2 significantly decreased while CH4 and N2O distinctively increased with the decline of total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration, illustrating an obvious spatial pattern in the GHGs distribution. The CO2 distributions mainly depended on the bicarbonate radical and TDS, indicating carbonate equilibrium as the main process involving in the CO2 generation. CH4 and N2O was primarily generated through the methanogenesis and denitrification processes, respectively. Nutrients including SO42- and total organic carbon predominately shaped the CH4 distributions, while nitrate mainly governed the N2O distributions. Our study highlights the important roles of hydrochemistry and nutrients in the GHGs generation and distributions, which provides a significant insight on managing the GHGs emissions from the saline groundwater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarui Li
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100871, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Materials Flux in River Ecosystems, Beijing, 100871, China; School of Water Resources and Environment, MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Qian Chen
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100871, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Materials Flux in River Ecosystems, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Ting Wang
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100871, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Materials Flux in River Ecosystems, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Haizhen Wang
- The Development Research Center of the Ministry of Water Resources of PR China, 100038, PR China
| | - Jinren Ni
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100871, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Materials Flux in River Ecosystems, Beijing, 100871, China
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13
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Humez P, Osselin F, Wilson LJ, Nightingale M, Kloppmann W, Mayer B. A Probabilistic Approach for Predicting Methane Occurrence in Groundwater. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:12914-12922. [PMID: 31610659 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b03981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous geochemistry datasets from regional groundwater monitoring programs can be a major asset for environmental baseline assessment (EBA) in regions with development of natural gases from unconventional hydrocarbon resources. However, they usually do not include crucial parameters for EBA in areas of shale gas development such as methane concentrations. A logistic regression (LR) model was developed to predict the probability of methane occurrence in aquifers in Alberta (Canada). The model was calibrated and tested using geochemistry data including methane concentrations from two groundwater monitoring programs. The LR model correctly predicts methane occurrence in 89.8% (n = 234 samples) and 88.1% (n = 532 samples) of groundwater samples from each monitoring program. Methane concentrations strongly depend on the occurrence of electron donors such as sulfate and to a lesser extent on well depth and the total dissolved solids of groundwater. The model was then applied to a province-wide public health groundwater monitoring program (n = 52,849 samples) providing aqueous geochemistry data but no methane concentrations. This approach allowed the prediction of methane occurrence in regions where no groundwater gas data are available, thereby increasing the resolution of EBA in areas of shale gas development by using basic hydrochemical parameters measured in high-density groundwater monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Humez
- Applied Geochemistry Group, Department of Geoscience , University of Calgary , 2500 University Dr. NW , Calgary , Alberta T2N 1N4 , Canada
| | - Florian Osselin
- Applied Geochemistry Group, Department of Geoscience , University of Calgary , 2500 University Dr. NW , Calgary , Alberta T2N 1N4 , Canada
- ISTO, Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans , 1A Rue de la Ferollerie , 45100 Orléans , France
| | - Leah J Wilson
- Applied Geochemistry Group, Department of Geoscience , University of Calgary , 2500 University Dr. NW , Calgary , Alberta T2N 1N4 , Canada
| | - Michael Nightingale
- Applied Geochemistry Group, Department of Geoscience , University of Calgary , 2500 University Dr. NW , Calgary , Alberta T2N 1N4 , Canada
| | - Wolfram Kloppmann
- French Geological Survey (BRGM) , 3 Avenue Claude Guillemin , 45100 Orléans , France
| | - Bernhard Mayer
- Applied Geochemistry Group, Department of Geoscience , University of Calgary , 2500 University Dr. NW , Calgary , Alberta T2N 1N4 , Canada
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14
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Wang B, Wang Y, Cui X, Zhang Y, Yu Z. Bioconversion of coal to methane by microbial communities from soil and from an opencast mine in the Xilingol grassland of northeast China. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2019; 12:236. [PMID: 31624498 PMCID: PMC6781394 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1572-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Xilingol grassland ecosystem has abundant superficial coal reserves. Opencast coal mining and burning of coal for electricity have caused a series of environmental challenges. Biogenic generation of methane from coal possesses the potential to improve economic and environmental outcomes of clean coal utilization. However, whether the microbes inhabiting the grassland soil have the functional potential to convert coal into biomethane is still unclear. RESULTS Microbial communities in an opencast coal mine and in grassland soil covering and surrounding this mine and their biomethane production potential were investigated by Hiseq sequencing and anaerobic cultivation. The microbial communities in covering soil showed high similarity to those in the surrounding soil, according to the pairwise weighted UniFrac distances matrix. The majority of bacterial communities in coal and soil samples belonged to the phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. The dominant bacterial genera in grassland soil included Gaiella, Solirubrobacter, Sphingomonas and Streptomyces; whereas, the most abundant genus in coal was Pseudarthrobacter. In soil, hydrogenotrophic Methanobacterium was the dominant methanogen, and this methanogen, along with acetoclastic Methanosarcina and methylotrophic Methanomassiliicoccus, was detected in coal. Network-like Venn diagram showed that an average of 28.7% of microbial communities in the samples belonged to shared genera, indicating that there is considerable microbial overlap between coal and soil samples. Potential degraders and methanogens in the soil efficiently stimulated methane formation from coal samples by the culturing-based approach. The maximum biogenic methane yields from coal degradation by the microbial community cultured from grassland soil reached 22.4 μmol after 28 day. CONCLUSION The potential microbial coal degraders and methanogenic archaea in grassland soil were highly diverse. Significant amounts of biomethane were generated from coal by the addition of grassland soil microbial communities. The unique species present in grassland soil may contribute to efficient methanogenic coal bioconversion. This discovery not only contributes to a better understanding of global microbial biodiversity in coal mine environments, but also makes a contribution to our knowledge of the synthetic microbiology with regard to effective methanogenic microbial consortia for coal degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobo Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanfen Wang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyong Cui
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Beijing Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau, Beijing, 100048 People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhisheng Yu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 People’s Republic of China
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15
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High-Level Abundances of Methanobacteriales and Syntrophobacterales May Help To Prevent Corrosion of Metal Sheet Piles. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.01369-19. [PMID: 31420342 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01369-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron sheet piles are widely used in flood protection, dike construction, and river bank reinforcement. Their corrosion leads to gradual deterioration and often makes replacement necessary. Natural deposit layers on these sheet piles can prevent degradation and significantly increase their life span. However, little is known about the mechanisms of natural protective layer formation. Here, we studied the microbially diverse populations of corrosion-protective deposit layers on iron sheet piles at the Gouderak pumping station in Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands. Deposit layers, surrounding sediment and top sediment samples were analyzed for soil physicochemical parameters, microbially diverse populations, and metabolic potential. Methanogens appeared to be enriched 18-fold in the deposit layers. After sequencing, metagenome assembly and binning, we obtained four nearly complete draft genomes of microorganisms (Methanobacteriales, two Coriobacteriales, and Syntrophobacterales) that were highly enriched in the deposit layers, strongly indicating a potential role in corrosion protection. Coriobacteriales and Syntrophobacterales could be part of a microbial food web degrading organic matter to supply methanogenic substrates. Methane-producing Methanobacteriales could metabolize iron, which may initially lead to mild corrosion but potentially stimulates the formation of a carbonate-rich protective deposit layer in the long term. In addition, Methanobacteriales and Coriobacteriales have the potential to interact with metal surfaces via direct interspecies or extracellular electron transfer. In conclusion, our study provides valuable insights into microbial populations involved in iron corrosion protection and potentially enables the development of novel strategies for in situ screening of iron sheet piles in order to reduce risks and develop more sustainable replacement practices.IMPORTANCE Iron sheet piles are widely used to reinforce dikes and river banks. Damage due to iron corrosion poses a significant safety risk and has significant economic impact. Different groups of microorganisms are known to either stimulate or inhibit the corrosion process. Recently, natural corrosion-protective deposit layers were found on sheet piles. Analyses of the microbial composition indicated a potential role for methane-producing archaea. However, the full metabolic potential of the microbial communities within these protective layers has not been determined. The significance of this work lies in the reconstruction of the microbial food web of natural corrosion-protective layers isolated from noncorroding metal sheet piles. With this work, we provide insights into the microbiological mechanisms that potentially promote corrosion protection in freshwater ecosystems. Our findings could support the development of screening protocols to assess the integrity of iron sheet piles to decide whether replacement is required.
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Onstott T, Ehlmann B, Sapers H, Coleman M, Ivarsson M, Marlow J, Neubeck A, Niles P. Paleo-Rock-Hosted Life on Earth and the Search on Mars: A Review and Strategy for Exploration. ASTROBIOLOGY 2019; 19:1230-1262. [PMID: 31237436 PMCID: PMC6786346 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Here we review published studies on the abundance and diversity of terrestrial rock-hosted life, the environments it inhabits, the evolution of its metabolisms, and its fossil biomarkers to provide guidance in the search for life on Mars. Key findings are (1) much terrestrial deep subsurface metabolic activity relies on abiotic energy-yielding fluxes and in situ abiotic and biotic recycling of metabolic waste products rather than on buried organic products of photosynthesis; (2) subsurface microbial cell concentrations are highest at interfaces with pronounced chemical redox gradients or permeability variations and do not correlate with bulk host rock organic carbon; (3) metabolic pathways for chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms evolved earlier in Earth's history than those of surface-dwelling phototrophic microorganisms; (4) the emergence of the former occurred at a time when Mars was habitable, whereas the emergence of the latter occurred at a time when the martian surface was not continually habitable; (5) the terrestrial rock record has biomarkers of subsurface life at least back hundreds of millions of years and likely to 3.45 Ga with several examples of excellent preservation in rock types that are quite different from those preserving the photosphere-supported biosphere. These findings suggest that rock-hosted life would have been more likely to emerge and be preserved in a martian context. Consequently, we outline a Mars exploration strategy that targets subsurface life and scales spatially, focusing initially on identifying rocks with evidence for groundwater flow and low-temperature mineralization, then identifying redox and permeability interfaces preserved within rock outcrops, and finally focusing on finding minerals associated with redox reactions and associated traces of carbon and diagnostic chemical and isotopic biosignatures. Using this strategy on Earth yields ancient rock-hosted life, preserved in the fossil record and confirmable via a suite of morphologic, organic, mineralogical, and isotopic fingerprints at micrometer scale. We expect an emphasis on rock-hosted life and this scale-dependent strategy to be crucial in the search for life on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- T.C. Onstott
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Address correspondence to: T.C. Onstott, Department of Geosciences, Princeton University,, Princeton, NJ 008544
| | - B.L. Ehlmann
- Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- B.L. Ehlmann, Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - H. Sapers
- Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - M. Coleman
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - M. Ivarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - J.J. Marlow
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - A. Neubeck
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - P. Niles
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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17
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Marquart KA, Haller BR, Paper JM, Flynn TM, Boyanov MI, Shodunke G, Gura C, Jin Q, Kirk MF. Influence of pH on the balance between methanogenesis and iron reduction. GEOBIOLOGY 2019; 17:185-198. [PMID: 30387274 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Methanogenesis and iron reduction play major roles in determining global fluxes of greenhouse gases. Despite their importance, environmental factors that influence their interactions are poorly known. Here, we present evidence that pH significantly influences the balance between each reaction in anoxic environments that contain ferric (oxyhydr)oxide minerals. In sediment bioreactors that contained goethite as a source of ferric iron, both iron reduction and methanogenesis occurred but the balance between them varied significantly with pH. Compared to bioreactors receiving acidic media (pH 6), electron donor oxidation was 85% lower for iron reduction and 61% higher for methanogenesis in bioreactors receiving alkaline media (pH 7.5). Thus, methanogenesis displaced iron reduction considerably at alkaline pH. Geochemistry data collected from U.S. aquifers demonstrate that a similar pattern also exists on a broad spatial scale in natural settings. In contrast, in bioreactors that were not augmented with goethite, clay minerals served as the source of ferric iron and the balance between each reaction did not vary significantly with pH. We therefore conclude that pH can regulate the relative contributions of microbial iron reduction and methanogenesis to carbon fluxes from terrestrial environments. We further propose that the availability of ferric (oxyhydr)oxide minerals influences the extent to which the balance between each reaction is sensitive to pH. The results of this study advance our understanding of environmental controls on microbial methane generation and provide a basis for using pH and the occurrence of ferric minerals to refine predictions of greenhouse gas fluxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A Marquart
- Department of Geology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Ben R Haller
- Department of Geology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Janet M Paper
- Department of Geology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Theodore M Flynn
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois
| | - Maxim I Boyanov
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Ganiyat Shodunke
- Department of Geology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Colleen Gura
- Department of Geology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Qusheng Jin
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - Matthew F Kirk
- Department of Geology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
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18
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Sirisena KA, Daughney CJ, Moreau M, Sim DA, Lee CK, Cary SC, Ryan KG, Chambers GK. Bacterial bioclusters relate to hydrochemistry in New Zealand groundwater. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2018; 94:5078342. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kosala A Sirisena
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda 10250, Sri Lanka
- Center for Water Quality and Algae Research, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda 10250, Sri Lanka
| | | | - Magali Moreau
- GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
| | - Dalice A Sim
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Operations Research, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Charles K Lee
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Stephen C Cary
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Ken G Ryan
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Geoffrey K Chambers
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
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19
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Toth CRA, Gieg LM. Time Course-Dependent Methanogenic Crude Oil Biodegradation: Dynamics of Fumarate Addition Metabolites, Biodegradative Genes, and Microbial Community Composition. Front Microbiol 2018; 8:2610. [PMID: 29354103 PMCID: PMC5758579 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodegradation of crude oil in subsurface petroleum reservoirs has adversely impacted most of the world's oil, converting this resource to heavier forms that are of lower quality and more challenging to recover. Oil degradation in deep reservoir environments has been attributed to methanogenesis over geological time, yet our understanding of the processes and organisms mediating oil transformation in the absence of electron acceptors remains incomplete. Here, we sought to identify hydrocarbon activation mechanisms and reservoir-associated microorganisms that may have helped shape the formation of biodegraded oil by incubating oilfield produced water in the presence of light (°API = 32) or heavy crude oil (°API = 16). Over the course of 17 months, we conducted routine analytical (GC, GC-MS) and molecular (PCR/qPCR of assA and bssA genes, 16S rRNA gene sequencing) surveys to assess microbial community composition and activity changes over time. Over the incubation period, we detected the formation of transient hydrocarbon metabolites indicative of alkane and alkylbenzene addition to fumarate, corresponding with increases in methane production and fumarate addition gene abundance. Chemical and gene-based evidence of hydrocarbon biodegradation under methanogenic conditions was supported by the enrichment of hydrocarbon fermenters known to catalyze fumarate addition reactions (e.g., Desulfotomaculum, Smithella), along with syntrophic bacteria (Syntrophus), methanogenic archaea, and several candidate phyla (e.g., “Atribacteria”, “Cloacimonetes”). Our results reveal that fumarate addition is a possible mechanism for catalyzing the methanogenic biodegradation of susceptible saturates and aromatic hydrocarbons in crude oil, and we propose the roles of community members and candidate phyla in our cultures that may be involved in hydrocarbon transformation to methane in crude oil systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney R A Toth
- Petroleum Microbiology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Lisa M Gieg
- Petroleum Microbiology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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20
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Flynn TM, Koval JC, Greenwald SM, Owens SM, Kemner KM, Antonopoulos DA. Parallelized, Aerobic, Single Carbon-Source Enrichments from Different Natural Environments Contain Divergent Microbial Communities. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2321. [PMID: 29234312 PMCID: PMC5712364 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities that inhabit environments such as soil can contain thousands of distinct taxa, yet little is known about how this diversity is maintained in response to environmental perturbations such as changes in the availability of carbon. By utilizing aerobic substrate arrays to examine the effect of carbon amendment on microbial communities taken from six distinct environments (soil from a temperate prairie and forest, tropical forest soil, subalpine forest soil, and surface water and soil from a palustrine emergent wetland), we examined how carbon amendment and inoculum source shape the composition of the community in each enrichment. Dilute subsamples from each environment were used to inoculate 96-well microtiter plates containing triplicate wells amended with one of 31 carbon sources from six different classes of organic compounds (phenols, polymers, carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, amines, amino acids). After incubating each well aerobically in the dark for 72 h, we analyzed the composition of the microbial communities on the substrate arrays as well as the initial inocula by sequencing 16S rRNA gene amplicons using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Comparisons of alpha and beta diversity in these systems showed that, while the composition of the communities that grow to inhabit the wells in each substrate array diverges sharply from that of the original community in the inoculum, these enrichment communities are still strongly affected by the inoculum source. We found most enrichments were dominated by one or several OTUs most closely related to aerobes or facultative anaerobes from the Proteobacteria (e.g., Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, and Ralstonia) or Bacteroidetes (e.g., Chryseobacterium). Comparisons within each substrate array based on the class of carbon source further show that the communities inhabiting wells amended with a carbohydrate differ significantly from those enriched with a phenolic compound. Selection therefore seems to play a role in shaping the communities in the substrate arrays, although some stochasticity is also seen whereby several replicate wells within a single substrate array display strongly divergent community compositions. Overall, the use of highly parallel substrate arrays offers a promising path forward to study the response of microbial communities to perturbations in a changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore M Flynn
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, United States
| | - Jason C Koval
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, United States
| | | | - Sarah M Owens
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, United States
| | - Kenneth M Kemner
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, United States
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21
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Blake JM, De Vore CL, Avasarala S, Ali AM, Roldan C, Bowers F, Spilde MN, Artyushkova K, Kirk MF, Peterson E, Rodriguez-Freire L, Cerrato JM. Uranium mobility and accumulation along the Rio Paguate, Jackpile Mine in Laguna Pueblo, NM. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2017; 19:605-621. [PMID: 28352908 DOI: 10.1039/c6em00612d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The mobility and accumulation of uranium (U) along the Rio Paguate, adjacent to the Jackpile Mine, in Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico was investigated using aqueous chemistry, electron microprobe, X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy analyses. Given that it is not common to identify elevated concentrations of U in surface water sources, the Rio Paguate is a unique site that concerns the Laguna Pueblo community. This study aims to better understand the solid chemistry of abandoned mine waste sediments from the Jackpile Mine and identify key hydrogeological and geochemical processes that affect the fate of U along the Rio Paguate. Solid analyses using X-ray fluorescence determined that sediments located in the Jackpile Mine contain ranges of 320 to 9200 mg kg-1 U. The presence of coffinite, a U(iv)-bearing mineral, was identified by X-ray diffraction analyses in abandoned mine waste solids exposed to several decades of weathering and oxidation. The dissolution of these U-bearing minerals from abandoned mine wastes could contribute to U mobility during rain events. The U concentration in surface waters sampled closest to mine wastes are highest during the southwestern monsoon season. Samples collected from September 2014 to August 2016 showed higher U concentrations in surface water adjacent to the Jackpile Mine (35.3 to 772 μg L-1) compared with those at a wetland 4.5 kilometers downstream of the mine (5.77 to 110 μg L-1). Sediments co-located in the stream bed and bank along the reach between the mine and wetland had low U concentrations (range 1-5 mg kg-1) compared to concentrations in wetland sediments with higher organic matter (14-15%) and U concentrations (2-21 mg kg-1). Approximately 10% of the total U in wetland sediments was amenable to complexation with 1 mM sodium bicarbonate in batch experiments; a decrease of U concentration in solution was observed over time in these experiments likely due to re-association with sediments in the reactor. The findings from this study provide new insights about how hydrologic events may affect the reactivity of U present in mine waste solids exposed to surface oxidizing conditions, and the influence of organic-rich sediments on U accumulation in the Rio Paguate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna M Blake
- Department of Chemistry, MSC03 2060, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA.
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Shelton JL, Akob DM, McIntosh JC, Fierer N, Spear JR, Warwick PD, McCray JE. Environmental Drivers of Differences in Microbial Community Structure in Crude Oil Reservoirs across a Methanogenic Gradient. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1535. [PMID: 27733847 PMCID: PMC5039232 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulating in situ microbial communities in oil reservoirs to produce natural gas is a potentially viable strategy for recovering additional fossil fuel resources following traditional recovery operations. Little is known about what geochemical parameters drive microbial population dynamics in biodegraded, methanogenic oil reservoirs. We investigated if microbial community structure was significantly impacted by the extent of crude oil biodegradation, extent of biogenic methane production, and formation water chemistry. Twenty-two oil production wells from north central Louisiana, USA, were sampled for analysis of microbial community structure and fluid geochemistry. Archaea were the dominant microbial community in the majority of the wells sampled. Methanogens, including hydrogenotrophic and methylotrophic organisms, were numerically dominant in every well, accounting for, on average, over 98% of the total Archaea present. The dominant Bacteria groups were Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Enterobacteriaceae, and Clostridiales, which have also been identified in other microbially-altered oil reservoirs. Comparing microbial community structure to fluid (gas, water, and oil) geochemistry revealed that the relative extent of biodegradation, salinity, and spatial location were the major drivers of microbial diversity. Archaeal relative abundance was independent of the extent of methanogenesis, but closely correlated to the extent of crude oil biodegradation; therefore, microbial community structure is likely not a good sole predictor of methanogenic activity, but may predict the extent of crude oil biodegradation. However, when the shallow, highly biodegraded, low salinity wells were excluded from the statistical analysis, no environmental parameters could explain the differences in microbial community structure. This suggests that the microbial community structure of the 5 shallow, up-dip wells was different than the 17 deeper, down-dip wells. Also, the 17 down-dip wells had statistically similar microbial communities despite significant changes in environmental parameters between oil fields. Together, this implies that no single microbial population is a reliable indicator of a reservoir's ability to degrade crude oil to methane, and that geochemistry may be a more important indicator for selecting a reservoir suitable for microbial enhancement of natural gas generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna L Shelton
- Eastern Energy Resources Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey Reston, VA, USA
| | - Denise M Akob
- National Research Program-Eastern Branch, U.S. Geological Survey Reston, VA, USA
| | - Jennifer C McIntosh
- Eastern Energy Resources Science Center, U.S. Geological SurveyReston, VA, USA; Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, USA
| | - Noah Fierer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of ColoradoBoulder, CO, USA; Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of ColoradoBoulder, CO, USA
| | - John R Spear
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO, USA
| | - Peter D Warwick
- Eastern Energy Resources Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey Reston, VA, USA
| | - John E McCray
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO, USA; Hydrologic Science and Engineering Program, Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO, USA
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