Scientists want to use bacteria to clean up oil spills - and it could actually work

[Judi Lynn]

Scientists want to use bacteria to clean up oil spills - and it could actually work

Nature's little clean-up crew.

NINA DOMBROWSKI AND BRETT J. BAKER, THE CONVERSATION

23 JUN 2016

In 2010 the Deepwater Horizon oil spill released an estimated 4.2 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico – the largest offshore spill in US history. The spill caused widespread damage to marine species, fisheries, and ecosystems stretching from tidal marshes to the deep ocean floor.

Emergency responders used multiple strategies to remove oil from the Gulf: they skimmed it from the water’s surface, burned it and used chemical dispersants to break it into small droplets.

However, experts struggled to account for what had happened to much of the oil. This was an important question, because it was unclear how much of the released oil would break down naturally within a short time.

If spilt oil persisted and sank to the ocean floor, scientists expected that it would cause more extensive harm to the environment.

More:
http://www.sciencealert.com/how-bacteria-might-soon-aid-us-in-cleaning-up-oil-spills

[Journeyman]

1. The LA Times political cartoonist Paul Conrad did a editorial cartoon on this years ago . . .

a single panel 'toon, it showed "A Microscopic View of Oil Eating Bacteria" -- the bacteria were shaped like tiny cars running around through the oil.

[jtuck004]

2. If they had one specific to this, it might do more...

[NeoGreen]

3. Not much new, we've been doing this for subsurface spills for awhile...

...with mixed results:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioremediation

https://www.epa.gov/remedytech/introduction-situ-bioremediation-groundwater

Introduction to In-Situ Bioremediation of Groundwater

Bioremediation is an engineered technology that modifies environmental conditions (physical, chemical, biochemical, or microbiological) to encourage microorganisms to destroy or detoxify organic and inorganic contaminants in the environment. The process can be applied above ground in land farms, tanks, biopiles, or other treatment systems (referred to as ex-situ) or below ground in the soil or groundwater, referred to as in-situ. In-situ bioremediation of groundwater has become one of the most widely used technologies for contaminated site treatment because of its relatively low cost, adaptability to site
specific conditions, and efficacy when properly implemented