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Biodegradation of heavy oil by fungal extracellular enzymes from Aspergillus spp. shows potential to enhance oil recovery
Author(s) -
Zhang Junhui,
Gao Hui,
Lai Hangxian,
Hu Shibin,
Xue Quanhong
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.17222
Subject(s) - biodegradation , aspergillus terreus , chemistry , aspergillus , biotransformation , extracellular , enzyme , bioremediation , aspergillus nidulans , aspergillus niger , food science , microbial biodegradation , environmental chemistry , bacteria , microorganism , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , organic chemistry , genetics , mutant , gene
Microbial enhanced oil recovery makes a substantial contribution to the recovery of heavy oils; however, most methods use bacteria, with less attention paid to the potential of fungi. In this study, we investigated the efficiency of fungal extracellular enzymes in biotransformation of heavy oil fractions into light compounds. Two Aspergillus isolates ( A. terreus and A. nidulans ) with the ability to biodegrade heavy oil were isolated from bitumen. The extracellular enzymes from these Aspergillus isolates exhibited dehydrogenase and catechol 2,3‐dioxygenase activities. The biodegradation of heavy oil was coupled with abundant production of gases, mainly CO 2 and H 2 . Gas chromatography analysis revealed a redistribution of n ‐alkanes in heavy oil after treatment with crude enzyme extracts, which resulted in an increase in individual n ‐alkanes. The viscosity of heavy oil was decreased considerably by enzymatic degradation. These results demonstrate the potential of fungal extracellular enzymes from Aspergillus spp. for applications in enhanced heavy oil recovery.