Bacteria that naturally manage to biodegrade fossil fuels that end up in the oceans due to spills discovered
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himDiscovery of the bacteria that naturally manage to biodegrade fossil fuels that end up in the oceans due to spills: a new frontier is opened for the protection and cleaning of the seas.
The researchers ofAmerican Society for Microbiology they discovered marine bacteria in the icy waters of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago capable of biodegrading fuels such as oil and diesel. The genomic sequence of some microorganisms revealed an unexpected potential for bioremediation of the marine environment - especially in the bacteria Paraperlucidibaca, Cycloclasticus, and Zhongshania. This could represent the turning point in safeguarding the oceans in response to fuel spills into the waters.
The study confirms that offering nutrients to these microorganisms can improve the ability of bacteria to 'biodegrade' combustible substances at low temperatures. Casey Hubert, among the authors of the study. - The perpetually cold waters of the Arctic Ocean see an increasing increase in industrial activities linked to maritime trade and the transport of oil and diesel by sea.
The study was conducted in the cold waters off the Labrador Peninsula (Atlantic Ocean). There, the protection of the marine ecosystem is particularly important also for the indigenous peoples, who derive their livelihood from the ocean. Scientists simulated the effects of a fuel spill in seawater inside some bottles by combining seabed mud with artificial seawater and adding crude oil or diesel to it.
(Read also Ocean pollution: in 2050 there will be more plastic than fish)
The experiments were conducted at 4 ° C, approximately the temperature of the Labrador Sea and took a few weeks: these simulations showed that bacteria that biodegrade fossil fuels, naturally occurring in the ocean, represent nature's first response to spills. of fuels in ocean waters.
With the climate crisis extending ice-free periods in the Arctic ice sheet and increasing industrial and commercial activity in the area, it is important to understand how the Arctic marine microbiome can respond to a possible oil spill or diesel at sea - still continues Hubert. - This is particularly important because saving such a vast region, the recovery of which could prove complicated and slow.
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Fonte: Applied and Environmental Microbiology / American Society for Microbiology
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