Bioremediation of Petroleum Spills in Arctic and Subarctic Environments: A Feasibility Study. Updated Report

摘要

Bioremediation is the process of enhancing indigenous microbes in soil and groundwater to metabolize organic contaminates into harmless by-products. Oil-degrading microorganisms are widely distributed in Alaska's soils. Researchers have biodegraded Prudhoe Bay crude oil in test plots from Barrow to Palmer, Alaska. Bioremediation methods increase soil oxygen and nutrient levels by aeration and fertilization. Soil microbes respond by increasing their activity and population. The larger and more active microbial population utilizes the crude oil as a carbon source and accelerate the degradation of the oil. Polyethylene coverings significantly raise summer soil temperatures. However, special attention must be given to oxygen transport. Hydrogen peroxide injected into soil and groundwater at 100 ppm significantly elevates oxygen levels without detrimental effects to microbes. Fertilizers that utilize inorganic sources of nitrogen and contain N:P:K ratios of 10:1:1 stimulate microbial growth.