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Strategy to improve crude oil biodegradation in oligotrophic aquatic environments: W/O/W fertilized emulsions and hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria

  • Environmental Microbiology - Research Paper
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Abstract

We studied petroleum biodegradation by biostimulation by using water in oil in water (W/O/W) double emulsions. These emulsions were developed using seawater, canola oil, surfactants, and mineral salts as sources of NPK. The emulsions were used in the simulation of hydrocarbon bioremediation in oligotrophic sea water. Hydrocarbon biodegradation was evaluated by CO2 emissions from microcosms. We also evaluated the release of inorganic nutrients and the stability of the emulsion’s droplets. The double emulsions improved CO2 emission from the microcosms, suggesting the increase in the hydrocarbon biodegradation. Mineral nutrients were gradually released from the emulsions supporting the hydrocarbon biodegradation. This was attributed to the formation of different diameters of droplets and therefore, varying stabilities of the droplets. Addition of the selected hydrocarbonoclastic isolates simulating bioaugmentation improved the hydrocarbon biodegradation. We conclude that the nutrient-rich W/O/W emulsion developed in this study is an effective biostimulation agent for bioremediation in oligotrophic aquatic environments.

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Acknowledgment

We are thankful to the Brazilian Navy, FAPEMIG, and CAPES.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico- CNPq), which provided all approvals, permits (project grant number 405544/2012-0), and authorization access to genetic resources (process number 010645/2013-6).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Biotecnologia e Biodiversidade para o Meio Ambiente, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. P.H. Rolfs s/n, Centro, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Edmo Montes Rodrigues & Marcos Rogério Tótola

  2. Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Ceará – IFCE – campus Camocim, Camocim, Ceará, Brazil

    Edmo Montes Rodrigues

  3. Laboratório de Microflúidica e Fluidos Complexos, Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Alvaro Vianna Novaes de Carvalho Teixeira

  4. Laboratório de Ecologia e Biologia Molecular de Microorganismos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Dionéia Evangelista Cesar

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  1. Edmo Montes Rodrigues
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  2. Alvaro Vianna Novaes de Carvalho Teixeira
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  3. Dionéia Evangelista Cesar
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  4. Marcos Rogério Tótola
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Correspondence to Edmo Montes Rodrigues or Marcos Rogério Tótola.

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Rodrigues, E.M., de Carvalho Teixeira, A.V.N., Cesar, D.E. et al. Strategy to improve crude oil biodegradation in oligotrophic aquatic environments: W/O/W fertilized emulsions and hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria. Braz J Microbiol 51, 1159–1168 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-020-00244-x

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