Efficacy of commercial products in enhancing oil biodegradation in closed laboratory reactors

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:5753012

Venosa, A D; Haines, J R; Nisamaneepong, W; Govind, R; Pradhan, S

A laboratory screening protocol was designed and conducted to test the efficacy of 8 commercial allochthonous bacterial cultures and 2 non-bacterial products in enhancing the biodegradation of weathered Prudhoe Bay crude oil in closed flasks. Three lines of evidence were used to support the decision to progress to field testing in Prince William Sound: rapid onset and high rate of oxygen uptake, substantial growth of oil degraders, and significant degradation of the aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions of the weathered Prudhoe Bay crude oil. A product had to enhance biodegradation greater than that achieved with excess mineral nutrients. Experiments were conducted in closed respirometer flasks and shake flasks, using actual seawater from Prince William Sound and weathered crude oil from a contaminated beach. Analysis of the data resulted in the selection of 2 of the 10 products for field testing. Both were bacterial products. Findings suggested that the indigenous Alaskan microorganisms were primarily responsible for the biodegradation in the closed flasks and respirometer vessels.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH (United States). Risk Reduction Engineering Lab.
• OSTI ID: 5753012
• Report Number(s): PB-94-101607/XAB; EPA--600/J-93/419
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900* -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540250 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
540350 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
550700 -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALASKA
ARCTIC OCEAN
AROMATICS
BACTERIA
BAYS
BEAUFORT SEA
BIODEGRADATION
CASKS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COASTAL WATERS
CONTAINERS
CONTAMINATION
CONTROL
DECOMPOSITION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LAND POLLUTION CONTROL
MICROORGANISMS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUTRIENTS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
POLLUTION CONTROL
PRUDHOE BAY
REMEDIAL ACTION
SEAS
SEAWATER
SURFACE WATERS
UPTAKE
USA
WATER
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL