Coexistence and competition of sulfate-reducing and methanogenic populations in an anaerobic hexadecane-degrading culture.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Over three-fifths of the world's known crude oil cannot be recovered using state-of-the-art techniques, but microbial conversion of petroleum hydrocarbons trapped in oil reservoirs to methane is one promising path to increase the recovery of fossil fuels. The process requires cooperation between syntrophic bacteria and methanogenic archaea, which can be affected by sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRPs). However, the effects of sulfate on hydrocarbon degradation and methane production remain elusive, and the microbial communities involved are not well understood.

Results

In this study, a methanogenic hexadecane-degrading enrichment culture was treated with six different concentrations of sulfate ranging from 0.5 to 25 mM. Methane production and maximum specific metha

SUBMITTER: Ma TT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5584521 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature