Methanogenic Paraffin Biodegradation: Alkylsuccinate Synthase Gene Quantification and Dicarboxylic Acid Production.

ABSTRACT: Paraffinic n-alkanes (>C₁₇) that are solid at ambient temperature comprise a large fraction of many crude oils. The comparatively low water solubility and reactivity of these long-chain alkanes can lead to their persistence in the environment following fuel spills and pose serious problems for crude oil recovery operations by clogging oil production wells. However, the degradation of waxy paraffins under the anoxic conditions characterizing contaminated groundwater environments and deep subsurface energy reservoirs is poorly understood. Here, we assessed the ability of a methanogenic culture enriched from freshwater fuel-contaminated aquifer sediments to biodegrade the model paraffin n-octacosane (C₂₈H₅₈). Compared with that in controls, the c

SUBMITTER: Oberding LK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5734044 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature