Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1007/s10532-020-09922-x
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Anaerobic benzene mineralization by natural microbial communities from Niger Delta
Author Eziuzor, S.C.; Schmidt, M.; Vogt, C.
Source Titel Biodegradation
Year 2021
Department ISOBIO
Volume 32
Issue 1
Page From 37
Page To 52
Language englisch
Topic T7 Bioeconomy
Supplements https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1007%2Fs10532-020-09922-x/MediaObjects/10532_2020_9922_MOESM1_ESM.docx
Keywords Benzene; Niger delta; Anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation; Biodiversity; Iron reduction
UFZ wide themes ProVIS;
Abstract The Niger Delta is one of the most damaged ecosystems in the world, mainly due to petroleum contamination by oil exploration accidents. We investigated the natural attenuation potential of Niger Delta subsurface sediment samples for anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation using benzene as a model compound under iron-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic conditions. Benzene was slowly mineralized under methanogenic and iron-reducing conditions using nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-Fe(III), or poorly crystalline Fe(III) oxyhydroxides as electron acceptors, analyzed by measurement of 13CO2 produced from added 13C-labelled benzene. Highest mineralization rates were observed in microcosms amended with Fe(III) oxyhydroxides. The microbial communities of benzene-mineralizing enrichment cultures were characterized by next-generation sequencing of the genes coding for 16S rRNA and methyl coenzyme M reductase A (mcrA). Abundant phylotypes were affiliated to Betaproteobacteriales, Ignavibacteriales, Desulfuromonadales, and Methanosarcinales of the genera Methanosarcina and Methanothrix, illustrating that the enriched benzene-mineralizing communities were diverse and may contain more than a single benzene degrader. The diversity of the microbial communities was furthermore confirmed by scanning helium-ion microscopy which revealed the presence of various rod-shaped as well as filamentous microbial morphotypes.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=23923
Eziuzor, S.C., Schmidt, M., Vogt, C. (2021):
Anaerobic benzene mineralization by natural microbial communities from Niger Delta
Biodegradation 32 (1), 37 - 52 10.1007/s10532-020-09922-x