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Bioremediation of oil contaminated beach material in Prince William Sound, Alaska

Conference · · American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry, Preprints; (USA)
OSTI ID:6797645
 [1]
  1. Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Breeze, FL (USA)

The Office of Research and Development within the Environmental Protection Agency has been evaluating bioremediation to help clean up beaches in Alaska's Prince William Sound following the March 24, 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Bioremediation techniques have been used elsewhere to accelerate the natural biological degradation of environmental contaminants. The purpose of EPA's project was to determine the best bioremediation approach for the oil contaminated shoreline of Prince William Sound. The major portion of the EPA study, therefore, has been a field demonstration to determine if nutrient (fertilizer) addition to contaminated beaches will effectively stimulate hydrocarbon breakdown by indigenous bacteria. Concurrently, a monitoring program has been instituted to check for any possible adverse environmental effects from nutrient addition. Techniques of applying nutrient mixtures to the beaches have been investigated.

OSTI ID:
6797645
Report Number(s):
CONF-900402--
Journal Information:
American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry, Preprints; (USA), Journal Name: American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry, Preprints; (USA) Vol. 30:1; ISSN ACEPC; ISSN 0093-3066
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English