Marine microbial degradation of water-soluble crude oil components - targeted metabolomics data

This dataset includes the quantitative targeted metabolomics data generated with the LC/MS (triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer) from an experiment on marine microbial degradation of water-soluble polar petroleum compounds (see more information below). Crude oil-derived polar compounds are receiving increasing attention due to their higher proportion in weathered oil, higher water solubility and potential harmful environmental impacts. However, these compounds are not amenable to GC-based analytical methods. Current knowledge on the characteristics and weathering patterns of oil-derived polar compounds relies on Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). This study aims to couple, FT-ICR-MS analysis with emerging metabolomics techniques to characterize the metabolic products of petroleum weathering. Natural marine bacteria consortia were exposed to crude oil-derived compounds dissolved in seawater in a lab incubation study. Three sets of controls were used: (1) sterile seawater with oil-derived water-soluble compounds; (2) sterile seawater with natural marine bacteria and succinic acid, which was used as a simple carbon source instead of crude oil; and (3) seawater alone with natural marine bacteria. All incubation sets were supplemented with nutrients and kept in dark at room temperature for 14 days. This dataset includes quantitative LC/MS (targeted metabolomics), using the triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer, focused on primary (internal and external) metabolites within base carbon metabolism and quantification of metabolized petroleum hydrocarbons.