Bioremediation of Crude Oil
Crude Oil Spills by Dennis Ray Schneider, Ph.D.
Dr. Schneider's Curriculum Vitae
Crude oil production spills remain a significant concern in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Amazon Rain Forest; a project Micro-Bac was brought in to clean-up an oil spill from a ruptured oil pipeline. Oil spills, however, affect not only the natural environment, but also the human population affected by the spill. Remediation of the spill in its truest sense must then encompass not only removal of the oil contamination and restoration of the environment, but also address the needs and concerns of the impacted inhabitants as well as address political and regulatory needs of the government.
Soil Washing & Oil Recovery
A proprietary Micro-Bac soil washing product is used to remove crude oil from underlying soil and released into channels where oil is captured by absorbent booms recovered and returned to the oil company's production stream for oil refinery processng.
Bioremediation of Crude Oil
Remaining oil contamination is bioremediated using a blend of naturally occurring, non-pathogenic microorganisms and nutrients from Micro-Bac's line of products, more specifically M-1000 CO for crude oil spills .Bioremediation pipes are use for subsurface inoculation with microbes and nutrients.
Recovery
Significant recovery of vegetation begins even during the final phase of bioremediation.Preliminary assessment by biologists will suggest that indigenous species for animals and plants as well as microorganisms will be at diversity levels comparable to contaminated areas.
Results
Results can be achieved within a matter of weeks with complete restoration to environmental standards within 8 weeks.
Summary
Removal of contamination should not be the only goal of remediation. Remediation should be more accurately termed "restoration and improvement." Such projects should be undertaken as holistic projects incorporating the local populations values and needs so that the polluted area is returned not just to its native state, but also to an improved state reflecting local, national, and international standards for social as well as environmental conditions. By such an approach, the local community is made part of the remediation project and relations between the oil company and the community are improved.