Oil degradation in microcosms and mesocosms

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:484954

Ishihara, Masami; Sugiura, Keiji; Asaumi, Masayoshi; Harayama, Shigeaki ^[1]; Goto, Masafumi; Sasaki, Etsuro ^[2]

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1. Marine Biotechnology Inst., Kamaishi, Iwate (Japan)
2. Marine Biotechnology Inst., Shimizu, Shizuoka (Japan)

To develop bioremediation technologies for the treatment of spilled oil, a microbial consortium called SM8 was isolated from a sediment in Shizugawa Bay, Japan. This population degraded 50 to 60% of the saturate fraction and 30 to 40% of the aromatic fraction of crude oil in 30 days in batch culture. The Alcaligenes sp. strain, 4L, isolated from the SM8 population, degraded 50 to 60% of the saturate fraction and 10 to 20% of the aromatic fraction. Dependency of the growth of SM8 on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in batch cultures was estimated by using Monod expressions. These bacteria also degraded crude oil attached to gravel at a similar extent. When the biodegradation of gravel-associated crude oil by gravel-attached bacteria was examined in a flow column system, only 10% of crude oil was degraded. Beach simulator units that simulate the biodegradation in an intertidal shore were constructed. When SM8 and fertilizers were added to oil-contaminated gravel in the simulating unit, gas chromatography (GC)-resolvable crude oil disappeared within 80 days. In contrast, no significant biodegradation of crude oil was observed when SM8 and fertilizers were not added.

• Sponsoring Organization: New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Tokyo (Japan)
• OSTI ID: 484954
• Report Number(s): CONF-950483--; ISBN 1-57477-009-8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
HYDROCARBONS
OIL SPILLS
REMEDIAL ACTION
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT