Effects of crude oil and gas condensate spill on coastal benthic microbial populations

Marine sediments are ecologically-important environments that act as a long-term depository for different contaminants from natural and anthropogenic sources. We investigated the response of crude-oil and gas-condensate spills on benthic microbial populations in the oligotrophic southeastern Mediter...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: E. Kababu, D. L. Angel, G. Sisma-Ventura, N. Belkin, M. Rubin-Blum, E. Rahav
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Environmental Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1051460/full
_version_ 1811221029674024960
author E. Kababu
E. Kababu
D. L. Angel
G. Sisma-Ventura
N. Belkin
M. Rubin-Blum
E. Rahav
author_facet E. Kababu
E. Kababu
D. L. Angel
G. Sisma-Ventura
N. Belkin
M. Rubin-Blum
E. Rahav
author_sort E. Kababu
collection DOAJ
description Marine sediments are ecologically-important environments that act as a long-term depository for different contaminants from natural and anthropogenic sources. We investigated the response of crude-oil and gas-condensate spills on benthic microbial populations in the oligotrophic southeastern Mediterranean Sea using costume-design benthocosms. Additions of crude oil and gas condensate significantly changed the sediment’s chemical properties, with 2-fold elevated levels of total organic carbon (TOC) and up to ∼ 6-fold higher concentration of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑PAHs) relative to unamended sediments. Naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene were the dominant species comprising the PAHs in both the crude-oil and gas-condensate treatments (29–43% and 26–35%, respectively). Porewater PO43+ drastically declined throughout the experiment, whereas NO2− + NO3− decreased ∼100 days post hydrocarbons addition and then increased in the remaining ∼100 days till the conclusion of the experiment. This temporal variability in NO2− + NO3− hints that hydrocarbon pollution may affect the interplay between benthic denitrification and N2 fixation, thus affecting nutrient limitation for benthic heterotrophic bacteria and phytoplankton. Moreover, our results show that crude oil and gas-condensate usually lead to a decline in benthic autotrophic microbial biomass (50–80%), while heterotrophic bacterial abundances remained unchanged, and bacterial production rapidly increased (maximal 1,600%, crude-oil > gas-cindensate). These effects were prolonged and lasted several months post hydrocarbons addition, highlighting the sediments as a repository for oil contaminants. Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria including Methylophaga, Ponticaulis and Alcanivorax genera post crude-oil addition and Actinobacterota 67–14 lineage following gas-condensate amendments. Our results may enable applying a better science-based environmental policy for the benthic marine environment.
first_indexed 2024-04-12T07:52:42Z
format Article
id doaj.art-da79f07067574e95958e57affef4f055
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2296-665X
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-12T07:52:42Z
publishDate 2022-11-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Environmental Science
spelling doaj.art-da79f07067574e95958e57affef4f0552022-12-22T03:41:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2022-11-011010.3389/fenvs.2022.10514601051460Effects of crude oil and gas condensate spill on coastal benthic microbial populationsE. Kababu0E. Kababu1D. L. Angel2G. Sisma-Ventura3N. Belkin4M. Rubin-Blum5E. Rahav6Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, IsraelRecanati Institute of Marine Science, Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, IsraelRecanati Institute of Marine Science, Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, IsraelIsrael Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, IsraelIsrael Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, IsraelIsrael Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, IsraelIsrael Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, IsraelMarine sediments are ecologically-important environments that act as a long-term depository for different contaminants from natural and anthropogenic sources. We investigated the response of crude-oil and gas-condensate spills on benthic microbial populations in the oligotrophic southeastern Mediterranean Sea using costume-design benthocosms. Additions of crude oil and gas condensate significantly changed the sediment’s chemical properties, with 2-fold elevated levels of total organic carbon (TOC) and up to ∼ 6-fold higher concentration of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑PAHs) relative to unamended sediments. Naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene were the dominant species comprising the PAHs in both the crude-oil and gas-condensate treatments (29–43% and 26–35%, respectively). Porewater PO43+ drastically declined throughout the experiment, whereas NO2− + NO3− decreased ∼100 days post hydrocarbons addition and then increased in the remaining ∼100 days till the conclusion of the experiment. This temporal variability in NO2− + NO3− hints that hydrocarbon pollution may affect the interplay between benthic denitrification and N2 fixation, thus affecting nutrient limitation for benthic heterotrophic bacteria and phytoplankton. Moreover, our results show that crude oil and gas-condensate usually lead to a decline in benthic autotrophic microbial biomass (50–80%), while heterotrophic bacterial abundances remained unchanged, and bacterial production rapidly increased (maximal 1,600%, crude-oil > gas-cindensate). These effects were prolonged and lasted several months post hydrocarbons addition, highlighting the sediments as a repository for oil contaminants. Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria including Methylophaga, Ponticaulis and Alcanivorax genera post crude-oil addition and Actinobacterota 67–14 lineage following gas-condensate amendments. Our results may enable applying a better science-based environmental policy for the benthic marine environment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1051460/fullcrude-oilgas-condensatehydrocarbon pollutantsbenthic bacteriabenthic algaeastern mediterranean sea
spellingShingle E. Kababu
E. Kababu
D. L. Angel
G. Sisma-Ventura
N. Belkin
M. Rubin-Blum
E. Rahav
Effects of crude oil and gas condensate spill on coastal benthic microbial populations
Frontiers in Environmental Science
crude-oil
gas-condensate
hydrocarbon pollutants
benthic bacteria
benthic alga
eastern mediterranean sea
title Effects of crude oil and gas condensate spill on coastal benthic microbial populations
title_full Effects of crude oil and gas condensate spill on coastal benthic microbial populations
title_fullStr Effects of crude oil and gas condensate spill on coastal benthic microbial populations
title_full_unstemmed Effects of crude oil and gas condensate spill on coastal benthic microbial populations
title_short Effects of crude oil and gas condensate spill on coastal benthic microbial populations
title_sort effects of crude oil and gas condensate spill on coastal benthic microbial populations
topic crude-oil
gas-condensate
hydrocarbon pollutants
benthic bacteria
benthic alga
eastern mediterranean sea
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1051460/full
work_keys_str_mv AT ekababu effectsofcrudeoilandgascondensatespilloncoastalbenthicmicrobialpopulations
AT ekababu effectsofcrudeoilandgascondensatespilloncoastalbenthicmicrobialpopulations
AT dlangel effectsofcrudeoilandgascondensatespilloncoastalbenthicmicrobialpopulations
AT gsismaventura effectsofcrudeoilandgascondensatespilloncoastalbenthicmicrobialpopulations
AT nbelkin effectsofcrudeoilandgascondensatespilloncoastalbenthicmicrobialpopulations
AT mrubinblum effectsofcrudeoilandgascondensatespilloncoastalbenthicmicrobialpopulations
AT erahav effectsofcrudeoilandgascondensatespilloncoastalbenthicmicrobialpopulations