Assessment of the anaerobic microbial potential for the bioremediation of gas condensate-contaminated groundwater

Abstract

Abstract The gas condensate leakage incident took place in Bashkortostan (Russian Federation), which caused soil and groundwater pollution with hydrocarbons. After the incident, the emergency plan was started and kinds of measures were carried out immediately. But the residual subsurface source of pollution within ground is still present and contaminates groundwater. We investigated the capability of ground’s indigenous microbial community to degrade gas condensate hydrocarbons under anaerobic conditions. The enrichment microbial cultures of nitrate reducers, ferric reducers, sulphate reducers and methanogens, capable to degrade gas condensate hydrocarbons, were isolated at incident site from polluted ground. All cultures demonstrated the ability to degrade hydrocarbons under laboratory conditions. The enrichment culture of nitrate reducers was chosen as the most appropriated one to biotechnological application in situ (i.e. at incident site) — it held the capability to degrade gas condensate hydrocarbons after three consecutive aerobic incubations in the rich medium (meat-peptone broth) amended with glucose. To our mind, biomass of this culture being readily and quickly grown in aerobic conditions on cheap organic media could be directly used to remediate gas condensate-polluted groundwater and ground in situ.