Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Petroleum biodegradation in marine environments.

S Harayama1, H Kishira, Y Kasai

  • 1Marine Biotechnology Institute, Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan. harayama@kamaishi.mbio.co.jp

Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology
|August 15, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Oil spills pose significant environmental threats. Bioremediation using fertilizers to boost marine microorganisms like Alcanivorax effectively degrades petroleum components in contaminated waters.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Characterization of tumor-associated microbiome in multifocal small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors (SI-NETs).

ESMO gastrointestinal oncology·2026
Same author

Measurement of the Isolated Nuclear Two-Photon Decay in ^{72}Ge.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Molecular epidemiology of meticillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in the neonatal intensive care unit.

The Journal of hospital infection·2022
Same author

Breakthrough in purification of fossil pollen for dating of sediments by a new large-particle on-chip sorter.

Science advances·2021
Same author

Baseline and changes in serum uric acid independently predict 11-year incidence of metabolic syndrome among community-dwelling women.

Journal of endocrinological investigation·2018
Same author

Interaction between gender and uric acid on hemoglobin A1c in community-dwelling persons.

Journal of endocrinological investigation·2017

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Microbiology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Petroleum products are vital energy sources and industrial feedstocks.
  • Oil spills present significant environmental risks due to large-scale petroleum transport and storage.
  • Understanding petroleum fate in marine environments is crucial for assessing oil spill threats and developing bioremediation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the biodegradation of petroleum components in marine environments.
  • To evaluate the impact of nutrient enrichment on hydrocarbon degradation.
  • To identify key microorganisms involved in the bioremediation of oil spills.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of crude oil composition (saturates, aromatics, resins, asphaltenes).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Assessment of biodegradation rates of different petroleum fractions under marine conditions.
  • Monitoring microbial community shifts and growth in response to oil contamination and nutrient addition.

    • Main Results:

    • Smaller molecular weight saturates and lower-ring aromatics are readily biodegraded.
    • Higher-ring aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes exhibit resistance to biodegradation.
    • Nutrient limitation (nitrogen and phosphorus) restricts hydrocarbon-degrading microbial activity.
    • Addition of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers stimulates oil biodegradation.
    • Bacteria of the genus Alcanivorax become predominant in oil-contaminated environments, especially with nutrient enrichment.

    Conclusions:

    • Bioremediation strategies involving nutrient addition can enhance the degradation of spilled oil.
    • The genus Alcanivorax plays a key role in the biodegradation of petroleum in marine ecosystems.
    • Further research is needed to resolve the biodegradability of complex petroleum compounds like asphaltenes and resins.