Alkane Biodegradation

R. A. Kerr Science 329, 734-735 (2010)

Alkanes

Saturated hydrocarbons
Large fraction of crude oil
Solubility decreases with
chain length (straight
chains)
Can also be branched
chains or rings
Branched chains are more
difficult to degrade than
straight chains

Melting
Solubili at 20
point
ty
C
[C]

Methane

Boiling
Formul
point
a
[C]
CH4
-162

Ethane

C2H6

-89

-183

Propane

C3H8

-42

-188

gas

Butane

C4H10

-138

gas

Hexane

C6H14

69

-95

Octane

C8H18

126

-57

liquid

Nonane

C9H20

151

-54

liquid

Decane

C10H22

174

-30

Dodecane

C12H26

216

-10

Hexadecan
C16H34
e

287

19

C20H42

343

37

450

66

solid

525

82

solid

575

91

solid

Alkane

Icosane

Triacontan
C30H62
e
Tetraconta
C40H82
ne
Pentaconta
C50H102

-182

gas
63.7

12.3

0.05

gas

liquid

liquid
liquid

5.2 x 10
-5

3.1 x 10
-7

liquid
solid

n-alkane aerobic degradation

pathways
Diterminal oxidation

Terminal oxidation

Subterminal oxidation

Callaghan 2006, Biodegradation 1990 1:79-92

Aerobic degradation

http://2010.igem.org/Image:TUDelft_Alkane_degradation_route.png

Oxygen-dependent reactions
Formation of fatty acids, followed by -oxidation
Biosurfactants may be required before degradation can begin

Branched
alkanes
More difficult to
degrade than nalkanes

Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2000;66:4462-4467

Alkane biodegradation-anaerobic

Environ. Microbiol. 2009 11(10):2477-2490

-oxidation

http://nutrition.jbpub.com/resources/animations.cfm?id=23&debug=0

Bioremediation
Bioremediation using
biological systems to treat
contaminated sites
Biodegradation biological
activity that results in the break
down of a specific contaminant
Bioaugmentation adding
biodegrading organisms to the
contaminated site (not
genetically manipulated)

http://www.nies.go.jp/kenko/biotech/bioehp/Topics1.html

Biostimulation adding
nutrients like nitrogen or
phosphorus in order to
stimulate microbial activity

Case study: Deepwater Horizon

Louisiana crude oil
Predominantly alkanes,
lower concentrations of
aromatics
Oil in a large plume near
the wellhead, 1 km depth
Also surface oil, mobilized
oil, reaching
shoreline/sensitive
wetland areas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Deepwater_Horizon_offshor
e_drilling_unit_on_fire_2010.jpg April 21, 2010

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1p20WdeXKKs/TDVPBQ7NuI/AAAAAAAAJao/7a_bs38l5jE/s200/GulfOilSpillCap1.jpg

Deepwater Horizon-physical/chemical
remediation
Burning not environmentally smart
greenhouse gases, toxic chemicals
released into the atmosphere
http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2010/06/
catastrophe-in-the-gulf-2/

Physical removal-does not remove

all of the oil; there is water
recovered as well, would need to be
separated from the oil
Chemical dispersion

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/99/939
/What_Is_The_Corexit_Dispersant.ht
ml

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0530/BPoil-spill-top-kill-failure-means-well-may-gushuntil-August

Oil washing up in wetland area

Adding dispersant to gushing oil

E. Kintisch Science 329, 735-736 (2010)

Studying the spill

Sample collection

http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewSlideshow.do?clid=58913&aid=105249&mainid=159855&p=157273&n=159853
http://www.whoi.edu/dwhresponse/page.do?pid=43715&tid=201&cid=44272&ct=362#
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03windows/logs/jul24/media/pushcorealvi
n.html

Biodegradation concerns
Bioavailability:

Bacteria are located at the oil-water interface, not inside the oil
droplets
Smaller droplets (dispersed oil) give more surface area to
increase biodegradation.

Explosions in bacterial growth would deplete

available nutrients and ultimately slow
degradation
Oxygen consumption possible dead zones?
Sedimentation deposition in anaerobic zones in
sediment

http://www.mpg.de/257961/Oil_degrading_bacteria?
print=yes

Oil-degrading microbes

Image from Hoi-Ying Holman

group)

Hazen et al. (2010) found 2-fold

higher cell densities within the plume.
Enrichment in plume for
Oceanospirillales
Some oxygen depletion in the plume,
not enough to create anoxic dead
zones
Enough oxygen loss to indicate
aerobic activity
Increased degradation genes in plume

Valentine et al. (2010) found oxygen

depletion in the plume to be driven by
ethane and propane metabolism

Oil consuming bacteria on oil droplets, 1500x magnification Johannes Zedelius, MPI Bremen

Results

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/38853793#
38853793