Diesel-Eating Bacteria

While oil-eating microbes have been reported in warmer regions, the process was not well-documented in permanently cold environments. But according to a recent study, naturally occurring bacteria in the Canadian Arctic are also capable of biodegrading diesel fuel and crude oil.

Importantly, the researchers identified species of bacteria that were not previously known to degrade oil. By simulating oil spills inside bottles using mud from the floor of the Labrador Sea, they were also able to confirm that adding nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, enhanced the process.

As industrial activity, shipping, and offshore oil and gas operations increase in Arctic areas, so do the risks of oil spills. But emergency response times to these remote areas could be slow. Microbes may be nature’s first responders and an integral part of a comprehensive approach to protecting the arctic waters on which many indigenous populations rely for food and business.