You are here:
EVALUATION OF BIOREMEDIATION STRATEGIES OF A CONTROLLED OIL RELEASE IN A WETLAND
Citation:
Mills**, M A., J. S. Bonner, C. A. Page, AND R. L. Autenrieth. EVALUATION OF BIOREMEDIATION STRATEGIES OF A CONTROLLED OIL RELEASE IN A WETLAND. J. Pearce (ed.), MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 49(5-6):425-435, (2004).
Impact/Purpose:
To evaluate two biostimulation strategies (inorganic nutrients supplementation and inorganic nutrients plus an alternate electron acceptor addition) to enhance petroleum bioremediation in a wetland environment:
Description:
A controlled petroleum release was conducted to evaluate bioremediation in a wetland near Houston, Texas. The 140-day study was conducted using a randomized, complete block design to test three treatments with six replicates per treatment. The three treatment strategies were inorganic nutrients, inorganic nutrients with an alternative electron acceptor, and a no-action oiled control. Samples were analyzed for petroleum chemistry and inorganic nutrients. These results are discussed in the context of our related research involving toxicology and microbiology at the site during the experiment. To evaluate biodegradation, the targeted compounds were normalized to the conservative compound C30 17α, 21β-[H]hopane, thus reducing the effects of spatial heterogeneity and physical transport. The two biostimulation treatments demonstrated statistically-higher rates of biodegradation than the oiled no-action control. For the majority of the experiment, target nutrient levels were maintained. Further research may be warranted to optimize these bioremediation strategies as well as evaluating additional treatment strategies for wetlands and other shoreline systems.
