Taxonomic and functional trait-based approaches suggest that aerobic and anaerobic soil microorganisms allow the natural attenuation of oil from natural seeps.

ABSTRACT: Natural attenuation, involving microbial adaptation, helps mitigating the effect of oil contamination of surface soils. We hypothesized that in soils under fluctuating conditions and receiving oil from seeps, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria as well as fungi could coexist to efficiently degrade hydrocarbons and prevent the spread of pollution. Microbial community diversity was studied in soil longitudinal and depth gradients contaminated with petroleum seeps for at least a century. Hydrocarbon contamination was high just next to the petroleum seeps but this level drastically lowered from 2 m distance and beyond. Fungal abundance and alpha-diversity indices were constant along the gradients. Bacterial abundance was constant but alpha-diversity indices were lower next to the oil seeps. Hydroca

SUBMITTER: Cebron A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9068923 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature