Comparison of two field systems for determination of crude oil biodegradation in cold seawater

Hendrik Langeloh; Charles W Greer; Leendert Vergeynst; Sigrid Hakvåg; Ida B Øverjordet; Ingrid Bakke; Lisbet Sørensen; Odd G Brakstad

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115919

Comparison of two field systems for determination of crude oil biodegradation in cold seawater

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Feb:199:115919. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115919. Epub 2023 Dec 21.

Authors

Hendrik Langeloh¹, Charles W Greer², Leendert Vergeynst³, Sigrid Hakvåg⁴, Ida B Øverjordet⁵, Ingrid Bakke⁶, Lisbet Sørensen⁷, Odd G Brakstad⁸

Affiliations

¹ The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Dept. of Biotechnology and Food Science, Sem Sælandsvei 6/8, 7491 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: hendrik.langeloh@ntnu.no.
² National Research Council Canada, Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, 75 Bd de Mortagne, Boucherville, QC J4B 6Y4, Montreal, Canada; McGill University, Natural Resource Sciences, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, H9X 3V9 Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: Charles.Greer@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca.
³ Arctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology, Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds vej 10 D, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark. Electronic address: leendert.vergeynst@bce.au.dk.
⁴ SINTEF Ocean, Department of Climate and Environment, Brattørkaia 17b, 7010 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: Sigrid.Hakvaag@sintef.no.
⁵ SINTEF Ocean, Department of Climate and Environment, Brattørkaia 17b, 7010 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: Ida.Beathe.Overjordet@sintef.no.
⁶ SINTEF Ocean, Department of Climate and Environment, Brattørkaia 17b, 7010 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: ingrid.bakke@ntnu.no.
⁷ SINTEF Ocean, Department of Climate and Environment, Brattørkaia 17b, 7010 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: Lisbet.Sorensen@sintef.no.
⁸ SINTEF Ocean, Department of Climate and Environment, Brattørkaia 17b, 7010 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: Odd.G.Brakstad@sintef.no.

PMID: 38134872
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115919

Abstract

Marine oil spills have devastating environmental impacts and extrapolation of experimental fate and impact data from the lab to the field remains challenging due to the lack of comparable field data. In this work we compared two field systems used to study in situ oil depletion with emphasis on biodegradation and associated microbial communities. The systems were based on (i) oil impregnated clay beads and (ii) hydrophobic Fluortex adsorbents coated with thin oil films. The bacterial communities associated with the two systems displayed similar compositions of dominant bacterial taxa. Initial abundances of Oceanospirillales were observed in both systems with later emergences of Flavobacteriales, Alteromonadales and Rhodobacterales. Depletion of oil compounds was significantly faster in the Fluortex system and most likely related to the greater bioavailability of oil compounds as compared to the clay bead system.

Keywords: Bacterial community; Crude oil; Depletion; Field studies; Hydrocarbons; Seawater.

MeSH terms

Bacteria / metabolism
Biodegradation, Environmental
Clay
Gammaproteobacteria*
Hydrocarbons / metabolism
Petroleum Pollution*
Petroleum* / metabolism
Seawater / chemistry

Substances

Petroleum
Clay
Hydrocarbons