Processes of anaerobic oxidation of oil in bottom sediments of Lake Baikal

Abstract

In the conditions of laboratory modelling, we studied the ability of microbial communities from the subsurface and deep sediments near the Gorevoy Utes oil seepage site to carry out the process of anaerobic oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons. In the sudsurface sediments, the conversion of n-alkanes was the most intensive in the cultures enriched with sulfate ions, and in the deep ones with bicarbonate ions. We determined a high biodegradation degree of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the deep sediment samples regardless of the electron acceptors that were present in the medium. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene clone libraries of bacterial and archaeal communities revealed that libraries of the four investigated samples consist of the sequences that are 9799% homologous to the uncultured microorganisms from the thermophilic habitats, mud volcano sediments and hydrocarbon polluted environments.