<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="6.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Siddique, Taraq</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Penner, Tara</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Semple, Kathleen</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Foght, Julia M.</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Anaerobic biodegradation of longer-chain n-alkanes coupled to methane production in oil sands tailings</style></title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Biodegradation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">bioremediation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">hydrocarbons</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">microbiology</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">PAH</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">tailings</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">UofA</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year></dates><publisher><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Environmental Science &amp; Technology </style></publisher><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">45</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">7 pages </style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Extraction of bitumen from mined oil sands ores produces enormous volumes of tailings that are stored in settling basins (current inventory ≥840 million m3). Our previous studies revealed that certain hydrocarbons (short-chain n-alkanes [C6–C10] and monoaromatics [toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene]) in residual naphtha entrained in the tailings are biodegraded to CH4 by a consortium of microorganisms. Here we show that higher molecular weight n-alkanes (C14, C16, and C18) are also degraded under methanogenic conditions in oil sands tailings, albeit after a lengthy lag (∼180 d) before the onset of methanogenesis. Gas chromatographic analyses showed that the longer-chain n-alkanes each added at ∼400 mg L–1 were completely degraded by the resident microorganisms within ∼440 d at ∼20 °C. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of clone libraries implied that the predominant pathway of longer-chain n-alkane metabolism in tailings is through syntrophic oxidation of n-alkanes coupled with CO2 reduction to CH4. These studies demonstrating methanogenic biodegradation of longer-chain n-alkanes by microbes native to oil sands tailings may be important for effective management of tailings and greenhouse gas emissions from tailings ponds.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">13</style></issue><custom2><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR)</style></custom2><custom3><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/733810935</style></custom3><custom4><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">OSEMB</style></custom4></record></records></xml>