Scientists studying the Pitch Lake, the world’s largest asphalt lake situated in southwest Trinidad, made a surprising discovery. Researchers found out microbes living in microscopic droplets of water inside the lake. Pitch Lake covers about 40 ha and is about 80-meters deep.
So, according to experts, the lake contains over 6 million tons of asphalt with thousands of tons extracted annually. In case the output remains the same, this renewable source of asphalt might supply the Earth for 400 years from now. The study revealed that microbes could thrive at the boundary where oil and water meet, helping to break down oil. Previously, oil was considered to be too toxic for life.
The water droplets in Pitch Lake are of 1-3 microliters. The composition of water (isotopes and salt content) suggests that the droplets are supposed to come from ancient seawater or brine deep underground.
It is worth noting that these microbes are responsible for changing oil chemistry, thus turning it into oil sands. Quality of oil suffers, that process should be taken into account as it can be used as a tool to clean up contaminated groundwater and oil spills. These oil-resistant microbial communities might play a key role in discovering new ways to fight against pollutants.
