Methane Presence in Aquifers

 By: Jacqueline Martinez

In the methane and famine diagram, there is a big amount of methanotrophs demonstrated in the high methane portion. In the Gracilibacteria diagram, what is shown is growth in the two different populations of the bacteria.

Microbes found in aquifers may affect the release of methane into the atmosphere. To lessen methane emissions, methane can be broken down by microbes, which is also known as bioremediation. In a study, there were several tests made in a contaminated environment where there were different conditions to investigate methanotrophs with different gases, including nitrate, methane, and oxygen. This was made to test methanotrophic and methylotrophic populations and their response to stray gas leakage while observing the bioremediation of methane potential. According to the typical functions of a methylotroph, the observations from the study aligned with what was expected of it, and what was found was the stimulation of growth of Gracilibacteria that showed interactions between the environmental conditions and bacteria in groundwater are active and serve as evidence of the groundwater no longer being contaminated by methane. While the study by Kuloyo and colleagues found that specific microbes feed off of other sources when methane is not present, this allows for the research to be used for future studies and to have a better understanding of the functions of the microbes within groundwater.

Journal article:

Kuloyo, O., Ruff, S. E., Cahill, A., Connors, L., Zorz, J. K., Hrabe de Angelis, I., Nightingale, M., Mayer, B., & Strous, M. (2020). Methane oxidation and methylotroph population dynamics in groundwater mesocosms. Environmental Microbiology, 22(4), 1222–1237. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.14929