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Nitrate treatment effects on bacterial community biofilm formed on carbon steel in produced water stirred tank bioreactor

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Abstract

To better understand the impact of nitrate in Brazilian oil reservoirs under souring processes and corrosion, the goal of this study was to analyse the effect of nitrate on bacterial biofilms formed on carbon steel coupons using reactors containing produced water from a Brazilian oil platform. Three independent experiments were carried out (E1, E2 and E3) using the same experimental conditions and different incubation times (5, 45 and 80 days, respectively). In every experiment, two biofilm-reactors were operated: one was treated with continuous nitrate flow (N reactor), and the other was a control reactor without nitrate (C reactor). A Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis approach using the 16S rRNA gene was performed to compare the bacterial groups involved in biofilm formation in the N and C reactors. DGGE profiles showed remarkable changes in community structure only in experiments E2 and E3. Five bands extracted from the gel that represented the predominant bacterial groups were identified as Bacillus aquimaris, B. licheniformis, Marinobacter sp., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Thioclava sp. A reduction in the sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) most probable number counts was observed only during the longer nitrate treatment (E3). Carbon steel coupons used for biofilm formation had a slightly higher weight loss in N reactors in all experiments. When the coupon surfaces were analysed by scanning electron microscopy, an increase in corrosion was observed in the N reactors compared with the C reactors. In conclusion, nitrate reduced the viable SRB counts. Nevertheless, the nitrate dosing increased the pitting of coupons.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the National Research Council of Brazil (CNPq), CAPES, FAPERJ and PETROBRAS. The authors would like to thank Dr. Irene von der Weid for her helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Prof. Paulo de Góes (IMPPG), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco I, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-590, Brazil

    Joana Montezano Marques, Lucy Seldin & Elisa Korenblum

  2. Laboratòrio de Biologia e Ultraestrutura de Procariotos, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Prof. Paulo de Góes (IMPPG), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco I, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-590, Brazil

    Fernando Pereira de Almeida & Ulysses Lins

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  1. Joana Montezano Marques
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  2. Fernando Pereira de Almeida
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  3. Ulysses Lins
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  4. Lucy Seldin
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  5. Elisa Korenblum
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Correspondence to Lucy Seldin.

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Marques, J.M., de Almeida, F.P., Lins, U. et al. Nitrate treatment effects on bacterial community biofilm formed on carbon steel in produced water stirred tank bioreactor. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 28, 2355–2363 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-012-1043-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-012-1043-0

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