title: Desulfurization of Mexican heavy oil by sulfate-reducing bacteria.
abstract: Twenty-five mixed cultures of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) were isolated from sediment and anaerobic digestors samples, collected at southeast Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, and wastewater treatment plant, Mexico. The isolated SRB mixed cultures were tested for desulfurization of Mexican heavy oil. Desulfurization activity of SRB was not affected by high level of vanadium in heavy oil. Sediment samples gave better sulfur removal performance than anaerobic digestors samples. The difference in removal efficiency of the two samples is possibly related to the different quantity of SRB strains causing degradation of organic sulfur in heavy oil.
authors.affiliation: national Autonomous University of Mexico, Marine Science Institute, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Perla E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Aragon
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Negrete
authors.forename: Virender K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005648:Fuel Oils; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D008800:Mexico; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D016999:Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005648:Fuel Oils; D008670:Metals; D012722:Sewage; D013457:Sulfur Compounds; D014873:Water Pollutants