BIOREMEDIATION METHOD FOR ACCELERATED BIOLOGICAL DECOMPOSITION OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS IN SEA ICE-COVERED POLAR REGIONS, AND BACTERIA AND ENZYME MIXTURES AS AGENTS FOR CARRYING OUT SAID METHOD

摘要

The risk of oil spills in the sea ice-covered polar regions is on the rise asmore and more crudeoil is prospected and transported. No bioremediation methods have been useduntil nowbecause they seemed to work only above the melting point, whereas thetemperaturesprevailing in the ice-covered regions lie below the melting point. Currentlyspills arepreferably removed in a mechanical or physical-chemical manner, leavingresidual pollutionand damaging the environment. In the bioremediation method according to theinvention, thepetroleum hydrocarbons that are to be decomposed are brought in contact withan inoculumcomprising, in addition to an environmentally friendly carrier material andnutrients, amixture of different cold temperature-adapted, indigenous bacterial strainswhich are adaptedto different decomposition places and petroleum hydrocarbons that are to bedecomposed as aresult of the fact that said bacterial strains have a different decompositionspectrum and oilemulsification behavior as well as a different salt and temperature tolerancerange whilecontinuing to be active at -3°C. Suitable bacterial strains and enzymesobtained therefromcan be produced by concentrating and isolating bacteria in a laboratory inreal ice conditionsat -3°C and with oil contamination. Eleven preferred bacterial strainshave been filed with theGerman Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures Ltd. (DSMZ).