Presentation
Impacts of a Surface Washing Agent and Chemical Herder on the Aerobic Biodegradation of Crude Oil
SessionMeet the Poster Authors
DescriptionDispersants, surface washing agents, and chemical herders expand the range of response options available to decision-makers during oil spills. Due to the reliance on chemical dispersants during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, impacts of dispersants on oil biodegradation have been heavily investigated and scrutinized. Less is known about the fate of other chemical treating agents and effects on marine microbial communities, including those responsible for oil biodegradation. Using an oil-degrading microbial consortium, we examined the impacts of a surface washing agent (CytoSol) and chemical herder (ThickSlick 6535) on the aerobic biodegradation of oil in laboratory incubations. We measured the transformation and mineralization of weathered crude oil and spill treating agents, changes in microbial biomass, and alterations of microbial community structure over 48 days.
The degradation of parent hydrocarbon compounds was minimally impacted by the introduction of CytoSol and ThickSlick 6535. Microbial growth was enhanced by the addition of the chemical treating agents and distinct shifts in the microbial community were observed among treatments and over the duration of the study. Mineralization occurred in all treatments including those containing treating agent alone (i.e. no oil or other carbon), signifying the oil-degrading microbial community can also readily degrade CytoSol and ThickSlick 6535. Higher levels of carbon dioxide were produced in treatments containing both oil and treating agent than the sum of the individual treatments. These laboratory findings suggest that these chemical treating agents pose little risk to oil-degrading microbial communities in-situ and potentially enrich for specific microbial groups that promote complete biodegradation.
The degradation of parent hydrocarbon compounds was minimally impacted by the introduction of CytoSol and ThickSlick 6535. Microbial growth was enhanced by the addition of the chemical treating agents and distinct shifts in the microbial community were observed among treatments and over the duration of the study. Mineralization occurred in all treatments including those containing treating agent alone (i.e. no oil or other carbon), signifying the oil-degrading microbial community can also readily degrade CytoSol and ThickSlick 6535. Higher levels of carbon dioxide were produced in treatments containing both oil and treating agent than the sum of the individual treatments. These laboratory findings suggest that these chemical treating agents pose little risk to oil-degrading microbial communities in-situ and potentially enrich for specific microbial groups that promote complete biodegradation.
Event Type
Poster
TimeMonday, May 13th5:00pm - 6:00pm CDT
LocationExhibit Hall G
Preparedness
Prevention
Remediation
Response
Restoration