New Bio-Indicators for Long Term Natural Attenuation of Monoaromatic Compounds in Deep Terrestrial Aquifers.

ABSTRACT: Deep subsurface aquifers despite difficult access, represent important water resources and, at the same time, are key locations for subsurface engineering activities for the oil and gas industries, geothermal energy, and CO2 or energy storage. Formation water originating from a 760 m-deep geological gas storage aquifer was sampled and microcosms were set up to test the biodegradation potential of BTEX by indigenous microorganisms. The microbial community diversity was studied using molecular approaches based on 16S rRNA genes. After a long incubation period, with several subcultures, a sulfate-reducing consortium composed of only two Desulfotomaculum populations was observed able to degrade benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene, extending the number of hydrocarbonoclastic-related species amon

SUBMITTER: Aullo T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4746249 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature