Biodegradation of Crude Oil Contaminating Marine Shorelines and Freshwater Wetlands

doi:10.1016/S1353-2561(03)00019-7

Spill Science & Technology Bulletin

Volume 8, Issue 2, April 2003, Pages 163-178

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1353-2561(03)00019-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

This paper is a summary of the various factors influencing weathering of oil after it has been released into the environment from a spill incident. Special emphasis has been placed on biodegradation processes. Results from two field studies conducted in 1994 and 1999 involving bioremediation of an experimental oil spill on a marine sandy shoreline in Delaware and a freshwater wetland on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada have been presented in the paper.

Section snippets

Biodegradation as a Weathering Process

Biodegradation of oil is one of the most important processes involved in weathering and the eventual removal of petroleum from the environment, particularly for the non-volatile components of petroleum. Numerous scientific review articles have covered various aspects of this process and the environmental factors that influence the rate of biodegradation (Zobell, 1946, Zobell, 1973; Atlas, 1981, Atlas, 1984; NAS, 1985; Foght & Westlake, 1987; Leahy & Colwell, 1990).

Mesocosm studies

Mesocosms or pilot-scale systems can help to simulate actual conditions at relatively low cost, and are frequently used as bridges between microcosms and field systems. Mesocosms have been used to evaluate the effectiveness of numerous bioremediation strategies.

Bioaugmentation

Unlike results from bench-scale tests, numerous mesocosm studies have demonstrated the ineffectiveness of bioaugmentation treatments. For example, Tagger et al. (1983) overlaid two mesocosms with crude oil. One was inoculated with an

Nutrient Transport in Beaches: Field Trials

In attempts to determine persistence of nutrients in high-energy and low-energy beaches, tracer studies were conducted in the intertidal zone of three different marine beaches in Delaware and Maine (Suidan & Wrenn, 2001; Wrenn et al., 1997a, Wrenn et al., 1997b).

Conclusions

The focus of this paper was to review biodegradation as a weathering process affecting the persistence of oil stranded on shorelines. Clearly, biodegradation is a key weathering process on coastal shorelines. The most important factors affecting biological removal of hydrocarbons are the presence of oxygen and sufficient nutrients in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus to support the biodegradation process. Maintenance of high concentrations of nutrients is the primary engineering challenge.

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^☆: Part of this paper is a summary of the EPA Technical Report entitled “Guidelines for the Bioremediation of Marine Shorelines and Freshwater Wetlands,” Zhu et al. (2002), which can be downloaded from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Web site: http://epa.gov/oilspill/docs/bioremed.pdf.

¹: Tel.: +1-513-556-2987; fax: +1-513-556-2599.

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REVIEWBiodegradation of Crude Oil Contaminating Marine Shorelines and Freshwater Wetlands☆

Abstract

Section snippets

Biodegradation as a Weathering Process

Mesocosm studies

Bioaugmentation

Nutrient Transport in Beaches: Field Trials

Conclusions

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Curr. Opin. Biotechnol.

Mar. Pollut. Bull.

Spill Sci. Technol. Bull.

Mar. Pollut. Bull.

Wat. Res.

Degradation of crude oil enhanced by commercial microbial cultures

Microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons: an environmental perspective

Microbiol. Rev.

Hydrocarbon biodegradation and oil spill bioremediation

Enhancement of spilled oil biodegradation by nutrients of natural origin

The fate of petroleum in soil ecosystems

Nutrient transport in beaches subjected to freshwater input and tides

Effectiveness of bioremediation for the Exxon Valdez oil spill

Nature

Anaerobic biodegradation of long-chain n-alkanes under sulfate-reducing conditions

Environ. Sci. Technol.

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Biodegradation

Anaerobic degradation of polycyclic hydrocarbons and alkanes in petroleum-contaminated marine harbour sediments

Appl. Environ. Microbiol.

Microbial ecology studies of the metula spill in the straits of magellan

J. Fish. Res., Board Can.

The fate of petroleum pollutants in freshwater ecosystems

Effect of bioremediation agents on oil biodegradation in medium-fine sand

Effect of environmental parameters on biodegradation of oil sludge

Appl. Environ. Microbiol.

The use of internal chemical indicators in petroleum and refined products to evaluate the extent of biodegradation

Optimal nitrate concentration supporting maximum crude oil biodegradation in microcosms

Relative rates of biodegradation of substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The fate of petroleum in marine ecosystems

Bioremediation: when is augmentation needed

Use of genetically engineered multiplasmid microorganisms for the rapid degradation of fuel hydrocarbons

Microcosm study of effect of different nutrient addition on bioremediation of fuel oil #2 in soil from Nova Scotia coastal marshes

The pattern of fresh water flow in a coastal aquifer

J. Geophys. Res.

Reasons for possible failure of inoculation to enhance biodegradation

Appl. Environ. Microbiol.

Microbial degradation of high molecular weight alkanes

Appl. Environ. Microbiol.

Effect of estuarine sediment pH and oxidation–reduction potential on microbial hydrocarbon degradation

Appl. Environ. Microbiol.

Potential for enhancement of biodegradation of crude oil in Louisiana salt marshes using nutrient amendments

Water, Air, Soil Pollut.

Fate and Weathering of Petroleum Spills in the Marine Environment

Alteration in petroleum resulting from physical–chemical and microbiological factors

Biodegradation of ‘BTEX’ hydrocarbons under anaerobic conditions

Microbial Degradation of hydrocarbons in the environment

Microb. Rev.

Enhanced biodegradation of a light crude oil in sandy beaches

Enhancement of the natural biodegradation of condensate and crude oil on beaches of Atlantic Canada

Bioremediation: application of slow-release fertilizers on low energy shorelines

Bioremediation of oiled beach sediments: assessment of inorganic and organic fertilizers

REVIEW
Biodegradation of Crude Oil Contaminating Marine Shorelines and Freshwater Wetlands☆