Microbial Degradation Rates of Natural Bitumen
Mark Pannekens, Lisa Voskuhl, Sadjad Mohammadian, Daniel Köster, Arne Meier, John Maximilian Köhne, Michelle Kulbatzki, Ali Akbari, Shirin Haque, Rainer U. Meckenstock
Abstract
per liter bitumen and year. Furthermore, a stable and biofilm-forming microbial community established on the bitumen itself, mainly composed of fermenting and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Our results suggest that small water inclusions inside the bitumen substantially increase the bitumen-water interface and might have a major impact on the overall oil degradation process.
Topics & Concepts
AsphaltMineralization (soil science)BiodegradationMicrocosmMicroorganismMicrobial biodegradationEnvironmental chemistryMicrobial consortiumDegradation (telecommunications)Environmental scienceChemistryGeologyMaterials scienceSoil scienceBacteriaComposite materialTelecommunicationsSoil waterComputer scienceOrganic chemistryPaleontologyEnhanced Oil Recovery TechniquesHydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysisPetroleum Processing and Analysis