PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR PRE-EMPTIVE POTENTIAL IN REMEDIATION OF OIL SPILLS

摘要

A process for pre-emptive potential in bioremediation of oil spills comprising the steps of fabricating cells of microorganisms capable of degrading hydrocarbons, encapsulating the cells into pods (16) dissolvable in a non-hydrocarbon environment such as water, introducing the pods into a body of petroleum (20) contained in a vessel (21) which if unintentionally fractured to release the body of petroleum (20) into the non-hydrocarbon environment will also release the cells, causing the cells to open and allow the microorganism to degrade the hydrocarbon and consume the oil spill. The process may also include the step of recovering pods (16) which are not released into the non-hydrocarbon environment from the body of petroleum (20). The invention also includes a product for pre-emptive bioremediation of oil spills which has cells of microorganisms capable of degrading hydrocarbons encapsuled in pods (16) and which can be introduced into a body of petroleum (20) during transport and storage and which are activated to degrade hydrocarbon and consume petroleum released into a non-hydrocarbon environment, wherein the pods (16) also contain means for removing unactivated microorganism cells from the body of petroleum.