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Russian scientists discover the Arctic’s “invisible cleaners”
Russian scientists discover the Arctic’s “invisible cleaners”
Arctic.ru: Discover how Russia implements its development goals in the Arctic and the Far East
2026-03-12T20:14
2026-03-12T20:14
2026-03-13T16:11
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A team of scientists from the Kola Science Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (KSC RAS) and other institutions has discovered previously unknown microbes capable of cleansing Arctic soils from heavy metals and oil products. Found in the Murmansk Region, the bacteria can be used for an accelerated soil revival in Polar areas, according to the press service of the Ministry of Science and Education of Russia. The team’s research results have been published by the Microorganisms journal.Years-long soil pollution with oil products and heavy metals is one of the main environmental problems in the Arctic region. Removing the pollution by traditional methods is often impossible or extremely costly, the report from the Ministry said.At the same time, natural soil purification processes are considerably decelerated by low temperatures, because the evaporation of low-molecular organic substances and the bacterial “processing” of other compounds proceed at much lower speeds.The team has discovered microorganisms that have adapted to the Arctic climate and evolved a capacity to survive in the harsh environment. These were studied in the soil on the slope of Mount Kaskama in the northwestern Murmansk Region. “Ten most active strains have demonstrated an ability to grow under a low temperature (of about +5°C), using components of diesel fuel and crude oil as a source of carbon, and have shown tolerance to cations of copper, nickel, and lead,” the report says.The “invisible cleaners” belong to the families Acidiphilum, Acidisoma, Acidocella, Bradyrhizobium, Paenibacillus and Pseudomonas, with the latter two capable of processing iron ions in the oxygen and oxygen-free atmosphere, respectively. Moreover, anaerobic pseudomonades (Pseudomonas) can facilitate soil cleansing from components of oil products at various depths.The team believes that the microorganisms in question can be used to accelerate the recovery of Arctic soils from years-long pollution with less damage to the entire “invisible” community of Arctic bacteria than in the case of importing microbes that are non-typical for the region. Further research will test this hypothesis and the efficacy of using the microbes in practice.The study has been carried out by scientists from the Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Lumumba Friendship University, and the KSC Institute of North Industrial Ecology Problems.
2026
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/img/07ea/03/0c/1308733_137:0:2868:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_5affb1d5b5555793c50431da3fdfff13.jpgnews, science and technology
Russian scientists discover the Arctic’s “invisible cleaners”
A team of scientists from the Kola Science Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (KSC RAS) and other institutions has discovered previously unknown microbes capable of cleansing Arctic soils from heavy metals and oil products. Found in the Murmansk Region, the bacteria can be used for an accelerated soil revival in Polar areas, according to the press service of the Ministry of Science and Education of Russia. The team’s research results have been published by the Microorganisms journal.
Years-long soil pollution with oil products and heavy metals is one of the main environmental problems in the Arctic region. Removing the pollution by traditional methods is often impossible or extremely costly, the report from the Ministry said.
At the same time, natural soil purification processes are considerably decelerated by low temperatures, because the evaporation of low-molecular organic substances and the bacterial “processing” of other compounds proceed at much lower speeds.
The team has discovered microorganisms that have adapted to the Arctic climate and evolved a capacity to survive in the harsh environment. These were studied in the soil on the slope of Mount Kaskama in the northwestern Murmansk Region. “Ten most active strains have demonstrated an ability to grow under a low temperature (of about +5°C), using components of diesel fuel and crude oil as a source of carbon, and have shown tolerance to cations of copper, nickel, and lead,” the report says.
The “invisible cleaners” belong to the families Acidiphilum, Acidisoma, Acidocella, Bradyrhizobium, Paenibacillus and Pseudomonas, with the latter two capable of processing iron ions in the oxygen and oxygen-free atmosphere, respectively. Moreover, anaerobic pseudomonades (Pseudomonas) can facilitate soil cleansing from components of oil products at various depths.
The team believes that the microorganisms in question can be used to accelerate the recovery of Arctic soils from years-long pollution with less damage to the entire “invisible” community of Arctic bacteria than in the case of importing microbes that are non-typical for the region. Further research will test this hypothesis and the efficacy of using the microbes in practice.
The study has been carried out by scientists from the Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Lumumba Friendship University, and the KSC Institute of North Industrial Ecology Problems.
