Exploring the diversity and functional profile of microbial communities of Brazilian soils with high salinity and oil contamination.

Environmental pollution associated with the petroleum industry is a major problem worldwide. Microbial degradation is extremely important whether in the extractive process or in bioremediation of contaminants. Assessing the local microbiota and its potential for degradation is crucial for implementing effective bioremediation strategies. Herein, contaminated soil samples of onshore oil fields from a semiarid region in the Northeast of Brazil were investigated using metagenomics and metataxonomics. These soils exhibited hydrocarbon contamination and high salinity indices, while a control sample was collected from an uncontaminated area. The shotgun analysis revealed the predominance of Actinomycetota and Pseudomonadota, while 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis of the samples showed Actinomycetota, Bacillota, and Pseudomonadota as the most abundant. The Archaea domain phylotypes were assigned to Thermoproteota and Methanobacteriota. Functional analysis and metabolic profile of the soil microbiomes exhibited a broader metabolic repertoire in the uncontaminated soil, while degradation pathways and surfactant biosynthesis presented higher values in the contaminated soils, where degradation pathways of xenobiotic and aromatic compounds were also present. Biosurfactant synthetic pathways were abundant, with predominance of lipopeptides. The present work uncovers several microbial drivers of oil degradation and mechanisms of adaptation to high salinity, which are pivotal traits for sustainable soil recovery strategies.

The use of the cap and underwater technique as an aid in endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of upper gastrointestinal bleeding: case series.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Upper GI bleeding (UGIB) is a medical emergency associated with elevated mortality and significant costs to the health care system. EGD is currently the method of choice for the diagnosis and management of these conditions. However, the location of bleeding lesions and technical difficulties in achieving endoscope stability may challenge even the most experienced endoscopists. Herein, we demonstrate the use of the cap and underwater technique as a helpful aid in these situations. METHODS: We present a case series of 4 patients with acute UGIB who underwent EGD with suboptimal endoscopic visualization or technical difficulties in identifying the source of bleeding. A transparent plastic cap was attached to the distal tip of the gastroscope, and the water immersion technique (underwater) was used for endoscopic re-evaluation of the bleeding site. RESULTS: Three patients presented with duodenal bleeding, and 1 was diagnosed with diffuse bleeding from the esophagus. The clear and accurate identification of the source of bleeding and effective hemostasis were possible after cap and underwater technique evaluation in all patients. CONCLUSION: The use of the cap and underwater technique is a simple, safe, and low-cost strategy that improves the identification and control of UGIB in locations with poor visibility and technical challenges during endoscopic evaluation.

Rare earth elements in drill cutting samples from off-shore oil and gas exploration activities in ultradeep waters.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential in high technology industries and have great economic value. The monitoring of REEs concentrations in rocks from oil well drill cuttings is critical to avoid environmental contamination and evaluate new sources of these elements. However, information is scarce about the REEs concentrations in drill cuttings. In this work, the concentration of REEs in drill cuttings from oil and gas exploration wells in ultradeep coastal water of Brazilian were investigated at different depths. The drill cutting samples were submitted to microwave-assisted acid digestion prior to the determination of concentration by ICP-MS, using Rh as internal standard for calibration. The limits of quantification (LoQ) ranged from 3.3 µg kg-1 for Ho to 198 µg kg-1 for Sm. The accuracy was evaluated by analyzing certified reference materials for rocks. The obtained REEs concentrations agreed with the certified values, reaching 83%-105% agreement. The drill cutting depth profile analysis indicates Ce, La, Nd, Sm, and Eu concentrations up to mg kg-1. The REEs concentrations obtained in drill cutting depth profile was analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) identified tendency and similarity between drill cutting samples. Three groups were formed according to the composition of the REEs. In addition, the concentration of these chemicals elements varied at different depths. The analysis of drill cuttings revealed REEs concentrations up to the mg per kg-range (ppm), potentially making this disposable material an alternative source for REEs extraction, and adding value to this material.

Bioremediation of marine sediments impacted by petroleum.

The aim of this work was to optimize the bioremediation of crude oil-contaminated sand sediment through the biostimulation technique. The soil was obtained in the mid-tide zone of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and was artificially contaminated with crude oil at 14 g kg(-1). Bioremediation optimization was performed using an experimental design and statistical analysis of the following factors: supplementation with commercial biosurfactant Jeneil IBR 425 and commercial mineral NPK fertilizer. The response variable used was the biodegradation of the heavy oil fraction, HOF. The analysis of the studied factors and their interactions was executed using contour plots, Pareto diagram and ANOVA table. Experimental design results indicated that the supplementation with fertilizer at 100:25:25 C/N/P ratio and biosurfactant at 2 g kg(-1) yielded biodegradation of HOF at about 30% during 30 days of process. Some experiments were carried out using the experimental design results, yielding 65% of biodegradation of HOF and 100% of n- alkanes between C15 and C30 during 60 process days. Intrinsic biodegradation test was carried out, yielding 85% of biodegradation of n-alkanes between C15 and C30 during 30 days of process.