Abstract Crude oil-amended microcosms were prepared with inocula from eleven anoxic environments (4 river sediments, 3 lake sediments, and 4 sludges from wastewater treatment reactors) to determine their ability to produce methane from the biodegradation of crude oil. Over incubation periods of up to 1150 days, oil-stimulated methanogenesis and concomitant loss of alkanes occurred in microcosms prepared with five of the inocula whereas six of the inocula did not show oil-stimulated methane production. Bacterial and archaeal communities from microcosms exhibiting high levels of oil-stimulated methanogenesis were distinct from communities where methanogenic crude oil degradation was not detected. Successional changes were consistent with the quantitative enrichment of syntrophic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria and methanogens over time. In conclusion, in oil-impacted environments methanogenic crude oil-degrading microbial consortia are present in relatively low abundance and exhibit slow growth, and while they may be ubiquitously distributed they may not be present at sufficiently high abundance to be detected.

中文翻译：

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产甲烷原油降解微生物聚生体在缺氧环境中并不普遍

摘要 用来自 11 个缺氧环境（4 个河流沉积物、3 个湖泊沉积物和 4 个废水处理反应器的污泥）的接种物制备了原油修正的微观世界，以确定它们从原油的生物降解中产生甲烷的能力。在长达 1150 天的潜伏期内，在用五个接种物制备的微观世界中发生了油刺激的产甲烷作用和伴随的烷烃损失，而六个接种物没有显示出油刺激的甲烷产生。来自微观世界的细菌和古菌群落表现出高水平的石油刺激产甲烷，与未检测到产甲烷原油降解的群落不同。连续变化与同养烃降解细菌和产甲烷菌随时间的定量富集一致。综上所述，