Rapid Benzene Degradation in Methanogenic Sediments from a Petroleum-Contaminated Aquifer

In methanogenic sediments from a petroleum-contaminated aquifer, [(14)C]benzene was converted to (14)CH(4) and (14)CO(2) without an apparent lag. Phenol, acetate, and propionate were intermediates in benzene mineralization. These results suggest that alternative electron acceptors need not be available for there to be significant natural attenuation of benzene in some petroleum-contaminated aquifers.