Although A. borkumensis is the most efficient oil-degrading bacteria, there are many different species that work on different parts of the alkane chain length. Between May and June, the water bodies in the areas affected by the spill contained 40 times more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons then before, especially near the Louisiana coast, and Alabama, Florida, and Mississipi. (Naether et al., 2015) (The Free Dictionary). Additionally, boat systems called skimmers (Figure 2) work by brushing oil off the surface of the water and collecting it. Slick Solution: How Microbes Will Clean Up the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Aromatic compounds are double-bonded carbon rings. Alcanivorax borkumensis has in its SK2 genome a number of regions, and one such island contains a cluster of 40 genes which code for cell surface biosynthesis. It is these islands that code for the bacterias oil degrading enzymes. Although these are techniques or methods that apparently do not have a higher level of complexity, many of those who apply them do not do it correctly. Pros and Cons of Oil Spill Dispersants. Between 16 and 18% of the 173 g in each heap has been. vT|At'm7v*_[X1ZyYE6`4#`P{xAZn=tA+;`D. Bioremediation is organic and efficient, and eco-friendly. (2015, September 8). PROS. hb```>>c`0p`gVQy7UF>f``f ^ZaAZU?1mjf` This allows it to interact with both water and oil. In situ burning, or ISB, is a technique sometimes used by people responding to an oil spill. Oil spill bioremediation: Experiences, lessons and results from the Ex. Bioremediation uses oil-degrading bacteria to clean up the spill. There are three main groups of hydrocarbon molecules in crude oil; aromatics, naphthenes, and alkanes (Australian Institute of Petroleum, 2013). Introduction. Source. Figure 2 Oil skimmer in the Gulf of Mexico removing surface oil, in April 2010. Certain plants and their associated microorganisms have also shown promise in speeding up the breakdown of oil. If dispersants are added to the oil spill, it will slow down bioremediation. It makes use of living organisms, such as bacteria, to remove pollutants and toxins from water, soil, and land. The reality is that the exploration and production of oil rarely creates an oil spill, but there have been some significant ones in the past three decades. This makes bioremediation a very important method for cleaning up oil spills. With an increase in boating, offshore drilling, and transportation of oil, coastal communities are in need of a plan to clean up waterways in the event of an offshore oil spill. Alcanivorax borkumensis, an oil-degrading microbe, was added to water with heavy fuel oil. The main goal of taking these mechanical measures is to prevent oil slicks from threatening sensitive regions and to prevent oil from reaching shorelines, where it inevitably becomes more difficult to clean. Add approximately 5 mL of distilled water to each tube. It consists of generating chemical processes from the contact of microorganisms with chemical agents, controlled either with oxygen amounts or without oxygen. 0 Studies prove that toxins from oil spills can lead to irregular heart beats and cardiac arrest. They should be used to aidin the mechanical removal of the oil in the early stages of a spill response, when the sheer mass of an oil slick is threatening to communities and ecosystems. Hard boom is made up of a floating plastic top and a weighted skirt that rests below the water, allowing it to contain oil especially effectively and with more longevity than other booms (NOAA,2015). A sample from the DeepwaterHorizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico showed a wide variety of different kinds of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria, but A. borkumensis was most abundant (Kostka et al.,2011). When the separation technique is executed, the waste that is generated must be treated or disposed of immediately, which causes costs to increase and other processes to be carried out. Biosurfactants are molecules that are produced by bacteria, and have the same properties as commercially produced dispersants. Our research shows that dispersants should not be added to oil spills, except as a last resort. This study is examining bioremediation with nitrate and ammonium in the Basedon those results, there was an estimated 22% decline of oil in the area from 1991-2001 (Short et al., 2004). Kills animals. Oil spill is a special challenge to be remediated due to its several environmental, economic, and social threats. Due to high spill rates and marine traffic in the Gulf of Mexico, large populations of oil degrading microbes arepresent. Retrieved from, Peek, K. (2010, May 28). Addition of microorganisms (Bio augmentation). 1: Breakdown of global energy consumption in 2013. Filamentous Bacteria in Wastewater Treatment: Mold & Bacteria. 2200 tonnes of oily material was recovered from the beaches, and oil was recovered from waters off the Florida Panhandle and Tampa Bay, where scientists said oil is embedded in the sand. Retrieved from, Petroleum.co.uk. This has implications for future oil spills and how we take advantage of the natural environmental response. ?multidisciplinary application it is developed in diverse areas, such as:agriculture, health, production of food and, protection of the environment. Finally the resulting pellet is freeze dried and can be stored at -20 to -70 degrees Celsius, or -4 to -94 degrees Fahrenheit (Sabirova et al., 2006). (2015). Aromatics are also the most toxic compounds in crude oil (NOAA, 2015). Dispersants remove the oil slick from the surface, but also spread oil throughout the water column, which allows the spill to affect more organisms. (2010, May 4). Sorbent boom does not contain the skirt that hard boom does, but instead isequipped with material that absorbs oil, creating a safe barrier between the slick andclean water. Slick Solution: How Microbes Will Clean Up the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. For details visit here: http://organicabiotech.com/waste-water-treatment/fog-bioremediation/, Also Read The Bioremediation Imperative, Our monthly newsletter with news, updates, product info and more on how we can heal the planet together, 36, Ujagar Industrial Estate, W.T. It is very important for communities to have a plan for what to do in the event of an oil spill. How Do Oil Spills Get Cleaned up on Shore? With that in mind, let's explore bioremediation in greater detail. Bioremediation technology is a safe, economical, more efficient [6, 7], and to be promising, practical, also to complete. %PDF-1.4 % Although there are some cases where remediation of sites that have non-organic pollutants is possible, bioremediation still tends to work best when it is used to break down organic substances. The findings, published in the journal . A. borkumensis naturally flourishes after an oil spill because there is a more abundant source of energy that can sustain a larger population(Kimes, 2014). Bioremediation satisfies these requirements. endstream endobj startxref Retrieved from. They can be solids, liquids, or gases, depending on the number of carbon atoms they contain. There are some concerns that the products of biodegradation may be more persistent or toxic than the parent compound. After 2001, the degradation of oil dropped to about 4% per year due to the oil being weathered and more sequestered (Short et al., 2007). AlkB1 is involved with the direct reversal of alkylation damage, specifically in single-stranded DNA ( Dinglay, 2000). It claims that its SC-W product can clean up surface oil spills on water surfaces. In order for incubation of A. borkumensis to occur in a timely manner, the frozen pellets must be melted and dispersed in 30 degree Celsius seawater. However, there are environmental impacts to betaken into consideration, like the depletion of oxygen in the areas where bioremediation is taking place. First, trained clean up crews employ shoreline flushing, which involves spraying water, at a specific temperature and pressure, onto oil contaminated surfaces in order to refloat or remove the slick. Less costly as it is simple and does not require labour intensive equipments. (2015). Bioremediation is considered one of the most sustainable clean-up techniques but the potential has not been fully exploited in the field because it is too slow to meet the immediate demands of the environment. This study reviews the challenges to managing oil spills in terrestrial and marine environments to identify areas that require further research. They reduce interfacial tension between oil and water, and break up the oil slick into small droplets. In order to avoid these severe consequences, mechanical measures must be taken while the oil is still afloat. For example, when sea otters come in contact with oil, they lose the protective heating layer beneath their fur. The process is based on applying decomposition techniques in organic matter, either with a large amount of oxygen or without using this element. The islands aremade up of genes that code for different enzymes. Manual removal of oil is a critical first step and when paired with bioremediationas a secondary method the highest possible success of oil breakdown at a spill site can be achieved. Microsorb. A. borkumensis is included in the genus Bacillus, which is a genus for rod-shaped bacterium and is in the class Gammaproteobacteria, meaning that it is a scientifically importantbacteria (Kostka et al., 2011). Retrieved fr, Randhawa, K. K., & Rahman, P. K. (2014, September 2). Duringthe degradation of hydrocarbons by A. borkumensis these minerals are used to boost the growth rate of the microbe. 1), corresponding to approximately 4.2 billion tons of oil equivalent of energy . Oil spills are a common occurrence in our oceans, when they shouldn't be. These new practices are used more and more in mining activity, because they have less ecological impact due to the reduction of soil contamination. It consists in taking advantage of the benefits of the bioremediating bacteria that are in a polluted environment, modifying the environment to stimulate them and that they can develop to the maximum their capacity to detoxify and restore. Although there are sodium, nitrogen, and oxygen compounds in oil, the most common molecules are hydrocarbons. A borkumensis breaks apart the bonds in hydrocarbons in oil that have been exposed to the sea, using enzymes and oxygen found in the seawater ( Biello, 2010). Microbes are added to the oil spill sites. The process of using naturally present microorganisms to clean up oil spills is called bioremediation. The different methods used by bioremediation seek to completely eliminate contamination,although it is not always achieved in its entirety;It is not about transferring contamination from one physical state to another, as it happens in other treatments that use this type of technique. Importance of early action cannot beemphasized enough, as the more time that passes, the more the oil will disperse, making it harder for clean up crews to collect oil (International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, 2012). This study reviews the challenges to managing oil spills in . They can be degraded relatively quickly by bacteria. It is an economical and safe method, which utilizes microbes to address oil spills. The Alcanivorax Borkumensis bacterium contains a single ringed chromosome free floating in the cytoplasm. With the right preparation, it can be started within 72 hours of the spill. (2015, October 27). This form of medium can be turned into a pellet containing the bacterium. Bio augmentation addition of microbes to supplement the current population to degrade oil and other hydrocarbons. A. borkumensis is able to outcompete other hydrocarbonoclastic species of bacteria because it can break down such a wide range of alkane chains (Hara, Akihiro, Kazuaki Syutsubo, & Shigeaki Harayama, 2003). It consists of the use of fungi to decontaminate specific areas, specifically, through the vegetative body (mycelia) of this fungal microorganism difficult to access for observation and study. Retrieved from, Medical dictionary. In this sense, biotechnology is a technological tool that contributes to sustainable development, offering solutions to serious pollution problems, for being an area of ? Bioremediation uses oil-degrading bacteria to clean up the spill. According to studies done by the EPA and Exxon following the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989, initial bioremediation rates can be as high as 1.2% per day. Some people are concerned about having lots of germs spread around. Retrieved from, Kujawinski, Elizabeth B., Kido Soule, Melissa C., Valentine, David L., Boysen, Angela K., Longnecker, Krista, and Redmond, Molly C. (2011, January 26). A novel approach to speed up the bioremediation of oil spills in marine ecosystems is represented by the use of new materials as possible carriers of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria. This is where the predominant bacteria such as pseudomonas, corynebacteria, mycobacteria, as well as seaweed and some yeasts, begin to process the degradation of those aliphatic and aromatic components, which can be oxidized by microorganisms. AlkB1 hydroxylases alkanes with 5 to 12 carbons, and AlkB2 hydroxylases alkanes with 8 to 16 carbons (Rojo, 2009). Bioremediation has already been used in many oil spills, including the spill in Prince William Sound. But unlike excavation-based remediation processes, which . Some of the well-known oil spills are; 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil spill in Alaska and Deepwater Horizon Spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Bioremediation is typically used to treat sites contaminated with organic substances (USEPA, 2001a), but it can also be used to immobilize inorganic contaminants such as heavy metals, although this is a developing area (Sharma & Reddy, 2004). Establishing oil spill preparedness practices in coastal communities will be critical to reduce impact from oil. Case Study: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 1989. Retrieved from, Pritchard, P. H., Mueller, J. G., Rogers, J. C., Kremer, F. V., & Glaser, J. As the demand for liquid petroleum increases, the need for reliable and efficient oil spill clean-up techniques is inevitable. By the year 2000, however, data will be available from an intentional oil spill study being conducted jointly by the U.S. EPA and Fisheries and Oceans-Canada on a freshwater shoreline of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. "Bioremediation is any process that uses decomposers and green plants, or their enzymes, to improve the condition of contaminated environments" (Science World, n.d). The use ofbiotechnologyto remedy the serious deterioration of the environment is one of the forms that has had the greatest impact for the benefit of the human population and other species. The oil spill has a bed effect on marine life especially on seabird such as seagulls and ducks. 3.1 Sources of Oil Spillage Spills can happen in the open seas, close to shores or in lakes, streams and rivers, land (AWMA, 2000). Before bioremediation was implicated in 1991, there were still vast amount of oil present. Bioremediation is a fairly new endeavor, with little known about the possible side effects. Each technique used must have a prudential time of applicationin which the expected results can be seen;In many cases of bioremediation application it is difficult to calculate the period of time that is required for the total development of the process, being able to generate more costs than those considered if the monitoring, control and extension stages are lengthened. Unfortunately, natural groundwater and soil remediation take a long time. Each molecule of dispersant has a polar end and a nonpolar end (Herv, 2010). Also Read Treating Oil Spills Naturally. D Environmental Science & Technology 2011 45 (16), 6709-6715 This makes it extremely important to respond quickly to spills made up of this type of oil. The characteristics of crude oil differ from place to place. From there, the tank should be filled with seawater in order to create a medium for the bacteria to grow. The infant dolphins were killed at six times the normal rate because of the spill. Not all compounds are susceptible to rapid and complete degradation. When culturing A. borkumensis it is imperative that a scientist uses a medium that supplies nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur or sulfate (Schneiker, 2006). (n.d.). A few main species associated with the degradation of oil would be Marinobacter, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter (Kostka et al., 2011). How Do Microbes Remove Oil? During an oil spill, these compounds evaporate off of the slick and into the air. Retrieved from, Atlas, R. M., & Hazen, T. C. (2011, June 23). On 20 April, 2010, an explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig unleashed the largest oil . To rehydrate, take the pellet and hydrate it with nutrient-rich seawater or another recommended medium. (1990-1999). GMOs may be added and may not be accompanied with nutrients. On top of oil and water to the experiment, tetrazolium was added as well as microbial solution. Ad sorbents are insoluble materials that are coated by a liquid on its surface, including pores and capillaries, without the solid swelling more than 50 percent in excess liquid. Impact of Recycling On Preserving the Environment. In the case of liquid treatment, it is applied to remediate oil spills in the ocean, as well as, treatment of industrial wastewater and groundwater. Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen are added to a contaminated environment allows the populations of native microbes to be increased. In addition, once oil reaches the shoreline, it exposes a whole new ecosystem to potentially lethal contamination. This cluster is called alkSB1GJH. Process can be carried out at the contaminated site instead of having to transport the waste water to another location (Carter-Edwards et al. Alkanes are straight or branched saturated hydrocarbons. Seabirds, such as seagulls and ducks, spend most of their life on water and go to land only during their nesting period. Individuals also use bioremediation as an oil spill cleanup technique. RSS FEED. Along with sodium pyruvate, this mineral supplementation is achievable by the use of sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, sodium bromide, sodium hydrocarbonate, hydrogen boron oxide, hydroxypropanesulfonic acid (Naether et al., 2015). Based on the definition most widely accepted in the international arena, we have it as any technological application that uses biological systems and living organisms or their derivatives for the creation or modification of products or processes for specific uses. References are stated at the end of each blog post for further reading :D. Alternatively, you can browse our blog by clicking the following links below. Rhamnolipids, Sophorolipids, and Other Glycolipid Biosurfactants. 2. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which began on April 20, 2010, is the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. A. borkumensis cannot consume sugars or amino acids as a source of energy, unlike most other bacteria (Yakimov, Michail M., et al, 1998). Larger aromatics, however, resist biodegradation,and can persist in the area of a spill for a long time (American Academy of Microbiology,2011). Since A. borkumensis occurs naturally in unpolluted waters all over the world (including freshwater), it has to have a source of energy. Oil spill containment boom can be anchored using three different techniques: (1) Free Anchoring (2) Shoreline Anchoring, and (3) Dock Anchoring. Because of its simplicity, it is a very popular method in the fields worldwide. Oil spill is basically the release or spillage of petroleum products (crude oil, gasoline, petroleum fuels and other by-products) and are mostly caused by human errors. 3. Current challenges associated with bioremediation . With proper nutrients, oil spills can be cleaned at a rate of 1.2% each day by using bioremediation techniques (Atlas & Hazen, 2011). Now, as a result of both dispersants and oil, the Gulf of Mexico is experiencing serious environmental impacts, such as diminishing sea turtle and shellfish populations (Cameron, 2015). | response.restoration.noaa.gov. A deepwater oil spill is undoubtedly a catastrophic event. This fact sheet is to provide on scene coordinators and other decision-makers with the latest information on evolving technologies that may be applicable for use in responding to an oil spill. The advantages of bioremediation include; minimal disruption of the ecosystem, permanent elimination of contaminants, cheap operation costs, and can be coupled with other treatment technologies. This single stranded circular chromosome contains islands. Less costly as it is simple and does not require labour intensive equipments, http://biotechpedia.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/bioremediation/, Types of bioremediation; Pros & Cons of bioremediation, Addition of native microbes to increase populations. 2. Molecules of surfactant surround droplets of oil, which disperse into the water.
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