Global threat: bacteria that break down oil and diesel found in the Arctic

08/16/2021 11:30

• Clarín.com

• International

Updated 08/16/2021 11:43 AM

A scientific finding puts the world on alert:

the marine bacteria that inhabit the cold waters of the

Canadian

Arctic

are capable of biodegrading oil and diesel fuel, according to a scientific study.

To understand the microbiome's response to

oil spills

, the researchers incubated seafloor mud in bottles of different microorganisms and combined them with nutrients, seawater, and diesel or crude oil.

According to the article published in the journal

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

, experiments were conducted for several weeks on the coast of the peninsula Labrador (Canada), at a temperature of 

4 ° C

.

An Arctic region in the Canadian archipelago.

Photo: Kiel University

During the study, the specialists observed a decrease in microbial diversity and the enrichment of lineages of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria such as

'Paraperlucidibaca', 'Cycloclasticus' and 'Zhongshania'

, which biodegrade the alkanes of crude oil and diesel, they report.

Represents a threat to human activity

"Our simulations showed that naturally occurring oil-degrading bacteria in the ocean are the first to respond to a spill," said

Casey Hubert

of the University of Calgary and a co-author of the study.

He also highlighted that these bacterial communities "may be key players in the response to oil spills in the Arctic," reported

RT

.

An increase in industrial activity related to maritime transport.

Photo: EFE

Hubert notes that the experiment also confirmed that "

providing nutrients can enhance the biodegradation of hydrocarbons

."

The expert concluded that "these permanently cold waters are experiencing an

increase in industrial activity related to maritime transport

and activities in the oil and gas sector on the high seas."

And this, Hubert warns not to miss, represents a significant threat to the environment.

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