Little is known about the microbial ecology of the subsurface oil sands in Northern Alberta, Canada. Biodegradation of low molecular weight hydrocarbons by indigenous microbes has enriched high molecular weight hydrocarbons, resulting in highly viscous bitumen. This extreme subsurface environment is further characterized by low nutrient availability and limited access to water, thus resulting in low microbial biomass. Improved DNA isolation protocols and increasingly sensitive sequencing methods have allowed an in-depth investigation of the microbial ecology of this unique subsurface environmental niche. Community analysis was performed on core samples (n = 62) that were retrieved from two adjacent sites located in the Athabasca Oil Sands at depths from 220 to 320 m below the surface. Microbial communities were dominated by aerobic taxa, including Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. Only one core sample microbial community was dominated by anaerobic taxa, including the methanogen Methanoculleus, as well as Desulfomicrobium and Thauera. Although the temperature of the bitumen-containing subsurface is low (8°C), two core samples had high fractions of the potentially thermophilic taxon, Thermus. Predominance of aerobic taxa in the subsurface suggests the potential for in situ aerobic hydrocarbon degradation; however, more studies are required to determine the functional role of these taxa within this unique environment.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiy073 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
January 2025
Department of Range and Watershed Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.
Soil seed bank (SSB) is valuable reserves of seeds hidden in the soil and are especially important for the preservation and establishment of vegetation under adverse environmental conditions. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the effects of restoration measures on SSB, especially in arid ecosystems. Here, we assess the impacts of oil mulching (1 and 3 years after mulching) and plantations (15-year-old) on the diversity and composition of SSB and aboveground vegetation (AGV) in comparison with those in non-restored areas (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolymers (Basel)
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Fine Chemicals of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China.
Lead (Pb) is classified as a prevalent metallic pollutant, significantly impacting the ecological environment, especially human health. Consequently, it is crucial to develop adsorbent materials that are environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and which possess high selectivity. This study aims to fabricate a Pb(II)-imprinted acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid composite material by using modified sand particles as the carrier, and then to investigate its properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolymers (Basel)
January 2025
Engineering Research Center of Oil and Gas Field Chemistry, Universities of Shaanxi Provence, Xi'an Shiyou University, Xi'an 710065, China.
In order to solve the problems of long dissolution and preparation time, cumbersome preparation, and easy moisture absorption and deterioration during storage or transportation, acrylamide (AM), acrylic acid (AA), sodium p-styrene sulfonate (SSS), and cetyl dimethylallyl ammonium chloride (DMAAC-16) were selected as raw materials, and the emulsion thickener P(AM/AA/SSS), which can be instantly dissolved in water and rapidly thickened, was prepared by the reversed-phase emulsion polymerization method. DMAAC-16, the influence of emulsifier dosage, oil-water ratio, monomer molar ratio, monomer dosage, aqueous pH, initiator dosage, reaction temperature, reaction time, and other factors on the experiment was explored by a single-factor experiment, and the optimal process was determined as follows: the oil-water volume ratio was 0.4, the emulsifier dosage was 7% of the oil phase mass, the initiator dosage was 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Hazard Mater
January 2025
College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
Light nonaqueous-phase liquids (LNAPLs) are the main source of organic pollution in soil and groundwater environments. The capillary zone, with varying moisture contents, is the last barrier against the infiltration of LNAPL pollutants into groundwater and plays an important role in their migration and transformation. However, the effect and mechanism of the moisture content in the capillary zone on LNAPL pollutant migration are still unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Omega
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Offshore Oil Exploitation, Beijing 100028, China.
Shale barriers negatively impact thermal recovery processes of oil sand or ultraheavy oil, particularly during the rising stage of SAGD, by affecting oil flow, steam chamber evolution, and heat distribution. Existing mathematical models for the rising stage of SAGD often overlook the influence of shale barriers on the evolution of the steam chamber and heat distribution. This study includes experiments to investigate the impact of a single shale barrier above the production well during the rising stage of the SAGD.
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