Graphical summary. **Microbiology (2023). doi： 10.3390 Microbial 12010079
Humans are actively exploiting the Arctic region, but it has a negative impact on the environment. The fact is that the Arctic soil has very little organic matter and is susceptible to the toxic effects of hydrocarbons due to the use of diesel fuel as an energy source and technology.
Permafrost conditions complicate contamination – hydrocarbons are "locked" in the soil. This makes it very difficult to physically remove permafrost from the soil without destroying it.
Biologists have found that some bacteria have adapted to cold climates and high concentrations of petroleum products – they can grow in permafrost and convert the hydrocarbons of petroleum**. In the future, this will contribute to bioremediation in the Arctic, that is, self-decontamination of the soil with the help of bacteria.
The Arctic has long suffered from the consequences of human activity. In addition to climate change, industrial development in the region has also had a negative impact. It has led to an increase in anthropogenic pollutants, which are difficult to deal with in northern conditions.
The presence of permafrost has led to the formation of contaminated areas where most hydrocarbons are concentrated, while logistical constraints and climatic characteristics of the northern regions complicate the possibility of reclamation. Mechanical cleaning by excavating contaminated permafrost is not advisable, as this will lead to the destruction of the permafrost layer where the layer was removed and the formation of craters and sinkholes.
One of the solutions to this problem could be biotreatment, bioremediation directly at the site of contamination, "said Dr. Vladimir Myazin, a researcher at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia.
The Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology studied four strains of bacteria from the genus Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter and Sphingosinomonas. They were isolated from the oil-contaminated soil of Alexandra Land in the Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. In the laboratory, bacteria are in -1It was grown in oil at temperatures ranging from 5 °C to 35 °C, and its metabolic potential and physiological characteristics were studied.
The isolated strains proved to be hardy, that is, able to grow quickly not only in the summer, but also in cold conditions where other microorganisms were inactive. They break down natural biopolymers (xylan, chitin) and acyclic hydrocarbons (alkanes) of linear or branched structure and convert phosphate into soluble forms.
Growth at negative temperatures leads to a change in the spectrum of hydrocarbons used and a decrease in the size of the bacteria. Microbiologists also analyzed the genome of the sphingosinomonas ar-ol41. In the deciphered genome, genes were found encoding enzymes responsible for the degradation of alkanes, as well as other genes that determine the strain's adaptation to hydrocarbon contamination and low temperatures.
These bacteria help the Arctic soil to self-purify itself from hydrocarbons. They have the potential for bioremediation in the northern region.
Joint research by RUDN University biologists and colleagues from the Vinogradsky Institute of Microbiology continues, and joint projects are planned to study the structural and functional profile of soil microbial communities in the Arctic region polluted with petroleum products and heavy metals, "said Dr. Vladimir Miyazhin, researcher at RUDN University.
The findings were published in the journal Microbiology.