Effects of Chemical Structure and Exposure on the Microbial Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Freshwater and Estuarine Ecosystems

Heitkamp, Michael A.; Cerniglia, Carl E.

doi:10.1897/1552-8618(1987)6[535:eocsae]2.0.co;2

Cited by 47 publications

(57 citation statements)

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“…Hydrocarbon molecular mass and structure typically influence biodegradation rates, with progressively slower degradation with increasing molecular mass, ring number, and alkyl branching (32,34,(41)(42)(43)(44). We tested the validity of these relationships for the seafloor by comparing the residual fraction for each hydrocarbon remaining in the sediment 4 y after the spill began.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistence and biodegradation of oil at the ocean floor following Deepwater Horizon

Bagby

Reddy

Aeppli

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster introduced an unprecedented discharge of oil into the deep Gulf of Mexico. Considerable uncertainty has persisted regarding the oil’s fate and effects in the deep ocean. In this work we assess the compound-specific rates of biodegradation for 125 aliphatic, aromatic, and biomarker petroleum hydrocarbons that settled to the deep ocean floor following release from the damaged Macondo Well. Based on a dataset comprising measurements of up to 168 distinct hydrocarbon analytes in 2,980 sediment samples collected within 4 y of the spill, we develop a Macondo oil “fingerprint” and conservatively identify a subset of 312 surficial samples consistent with contamination by Macondo oil. Three trends emerge from analysis of the biodegradation rates of 125 individual hydrocarbons in these samples. First, molecular structure served to modulate biodegradation in a predictable fashion, with the simplest structures subject to fastest loss, indicating that biodegradation in the deep ocean progresses similarly to other environments. Second, for many alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons biodegradation occurred in two distinct phases, consistent with rapid loss while oil particles remained suspended followed by slow loss after deposition to the seafloor. Third, the extent of biodegradation for any given sample was influenced by the hydrocarbon content, leading to substantially greater hydrocarbon persistence among the more highly contaminated samples. In addition, under some conditions we find strong evidence for extensive degradation of numerous petroleum biomarkers, notably including the native internal standard 17α(H),21β(H)-hopane, commonly used to calculate the extent of oil weathering.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistence and biodegradation of oil at the ocean floor following Deepwater Horizon

Bagby

Reddy

Aeppli

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Its toxicity PAHs depends on a number of factors, including the species of organism, route of exposure, and molecular structure. Generally, PAHs with low molecular weight (LMW) are considered to be acutely toxic and non-carcinogenic to aquatic organisms, whereas, high molecular weight (HMW) are generally considered as not acutely toxic to aquatic organisms, but showing a number of them being carcinogenic (Heitkamp and Cerniglia 1987). The interim sediment quality guidelines (ISQG) were established as a comparative parameter for toxicity capacity of the sediment (CCME 1999).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Generally, high concentrations can be observed in rivers and lakes because of these hydrophobic characteristics and rapid adsorption at sediments; especially, in those places were sedimentation is favorable, such as in natural pool areas and stagnation or recirculation zones with lower flow velocities. Once adsorbed to the sediment, they are less susceptible for degradation (Baumard et al 1998;Heitkamp and Cerniglia 1987;Hinga 2003;Hu et al 2010). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of coal tar pavement on polycyclic hydrocarbon distribution in lacustrine sediments from non-traditional sources

Froehner

Souza

Machado

et al. 2012

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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The evaluation of potential environmental impacts from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon is a subject that requires investigation, especially related to emission sources from highway roads with high traffic. In this paper, the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was investigated in the surface sediments from a subtropical lake, located in the south of Brazil and away from urban areas. The results showed that all sediments presented such compounds in significant concentration, ranging from 9.50 to 29.88 lg/g. The highest total concentration was found in those sites close to the highway (bridges) and the deepest area of the lake. Moreover, a high concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of high molecular weight, such as benzo(a)anthracene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene was found. It was laso found that high concentrations might be related to asphalt and coal tar pavement used in the highway construction close to the lake. In addition, the potential capacity of sediment toxicity was compared with values of the interim sediment quality guidelines values. The results indicate that most of the sediment presents concentrations of hydrocarbons above these limits. Only fluoranthene and chrysene were found in concentrations below the guideline values. The concentrations of most of the polycyclic hydrocarbons are higher than the quality guidelines. However, the main concern is associated with the presence of benzo(a)anthracene whose concentration is 416 times higher than the limit establisehed by guidelines. The same observation can be done to traces of benzo(a)-pyrene and dibenz(a,h)anthracene, with concentration values of 13 and 1,993 times higher.

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“…Microbial degradation experiments have also demonstrated that alkyl substituted P AH degrade more slowly than parent compounds. For example, Heitkamp and collaborators (Heitkamp and Cerniglia, 1987) reported faster degradation rates for Phen than for 2-methylnaphthalene ( Figure 9) in sediments from a pristine and an oil-exposed ecosystem.…”

Section: Biodegradationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rate of biodegradation of several PAHs in an estuarne system exposed to oil (Heitkamp and Cerniglia, 1987).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular and isotopic records of combustion inputs to the environment over the last 250 years

Lima¹

2004

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Effects of Chemical Structure and Exposure on the Microbial Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Freshwater and Estuarine Ecosystems

Cited by 47 publications

References 0 publications

Persistence and biodegradation of oil at the ocean floor following Deepwater Horizon

Persistence and biodegradation of oil at the ocean floor following Deepwater Horizon

Impact of coal tar pavement on polycyclic hydrocarbon distribution in lacustrine sediments from non-traditional sources

Molecular and isotopic records of combustion inputs to the environment over the last 250 years

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