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Title: Pilot trials of the microbial degradation of Christos-Bitas water in oil emulsion (chocolate mousse) and BP llandarcy gas oil using venturi aeration

Journal Article · · Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States)

Oil residues arising from the Christos-Bitas spillage were found to contain 28% of oil extractable by carbon tetrachloride; the remainder consisted of water and undefined solids. Christos-Bitas mousse was added to 1.18 m/sup 3/ liquor inoculated with oil-contaminated marine mud, and aerated with a 1.5-hp vortex pump and venturi nozzle (12.5 mm) in a cylindrical tank. After 70 days, oil degradation reached 7 mg oil/L/h. About 98% of the solvent extractable oil added was degraded over 83 days. Analysis of oil residues harvested at the end of this experiment showed that there was a decreasing trend in percent degradation in the following order: aromatics > saturates > heterocyclics > asphalts. No less than 94% of any fraction analyzed was degraded. In the second pilot trial, oil degradation was carried out in a cylindrical jacket tank containing 6.82 m/sup 3/ liquor inoculated with oil-contaminated marine mud from Penarth, South Wales, UK, together with pure cultures derived from the same source, and aerated with a 7.5-hp vortex pump and venturi nozzle (18 mm diameter). Mixing of the oil was inhomogeneous for the first 100-110 days. The overall degree of substrate dispersion and total oil balance was determined by sampling at different depths. Degradation by the mixed culture was achieved at the rate of 164 mg oil/L/h. After 224 days, this was equivalent to 9.6 x 10/sup 3//kg/sup -1//yr; (214 kg/wk) for 6.82 m/sup 3/ of liquor.

Research Organization:
University College, Cardiff, Wales
OSTI ID:
5849551
Journal Information:
Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States), Vol. 27:1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English