Biogeochemical Aspect of Atmospheric Methane and Impact of Nanoparticles on Methanotrophs

Parul Rajput Rupali Saxena

doi:10.4172/2161-0525.1000195

Abstract

Increasing concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gas and its implications to the global climate change is a major concern. Methane (CH4) emitted from terrestrial ecosystem by human activities and or by natural processes gets oxidized by certain group of soil microbes. Any imbalance or negative impact on these microbial groups may lead to ecosystem collapse. Due to rapid industrialization there is increasing threat of various environmental pollutants on the soil microbes. One of the recently identified pollutants is nanoparticles. This paper reviews the impact of nanoparticles on the global climate regulating methanotrophs and potential negative or positive impact of nanoparticles on the soil microbes. Here we assessed the effects of metal nanoparticles on the microorganisms and also the physiology and phylogeny of methanotrophs. Altogether, the study suggests that metal nanoparticle could significantly produce ecotoxicity and killing of phytostimulatory soil bacteria. Thus, the engineered nanoparticle (ENPs) should be further tested as a possible ecofriendly agent.

Highlights

Microbial mediated methane (CH4) oxidation play a major role in reducing global atmospheric CH4 and annually about 10-40 Tg atmospheric CH4 is consumed by methane oxidizing microbes [1,2,3,4]
Most of the studies characterizing methane oxidation rate are restricted to upland aerobic soil ecosystem and limited information are there to support our understanding in flooded soil ecosystem [7,11,12,13]
Few studies have revealed that water addition to soil can stimulate CH4 oxidation and methanotrophic activity maxima can be attained at intermediate soil moistures [25,26]

Summary

Introduction

Microbial mediated methane (CH4) oxidation play a major role in reducing global atmospheric CH4 and annually about 10-40 Tg atmospheric CH4 is consumed by methane oxidizing microbes [1,2,3,4]. Microbial CH4 oxidation has been reported to occur at significant rates in many natural ecosystems and soils can act as sinks for CH4 from atmosphere [5,6,7,8,9,10]. The biological CH4 oxidation process is important process to minimize global climate change and there is need of extensive research to characterize methanotrophic activity in various ecosystems for possible application to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas.

Results

Conclusion