Effect of Marine Snow on Microbial Oil Degradation
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2020
Keywords
Biodegradation, Marine snow, Oil spill, Sediment, MOSSFA, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Dispersants, Enhanced dissolution
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11605-7_18
Abstract
In the aftermath of an oil spill, a possible response is the addition of chemical dispersants to prevent further spreading of the spilled oil on the ocean surface. The main objective is to enhance the formation of smaller oil droplets by reducing the interfacial tension between oil and water, thus dispersing the oil into the water column. The resulting solubilized oil with microdroplets along with the associated toxic compounds will be swiftly incorporated into the seawater. The formation of smaller oil droplets and the dispersant enhanced solubilized oil will increase its availability for bacteria and thus the biodegradability. Subsequently, the number and activity of oil-degrading bacteria increases, and more oil will be degraded in a shorter period of time (Kessler et al., Science 331:312–315, 2011). However, during the immediate release of the dispersed oil, volatile hydrocarbons including some of the more toxic compounds of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) can inhibit the oil degradation (Sherry et al., Front Microbiol 5:131, 2014).
Depending on the oceanic conditions, the addition of chemical dispersants can result in excessive formation of marine snow. It has been shown that the application of dispersants during phytoplankton blooms can trigger the formation of marine snow to which the sticky dispersed oil can bind. In the presence of mineral particles, oiled snow complexes are being formed that become negatively buoyant and sink to the ocean floor. As a result, oiled marine snow accumulates on the ocean floor where biodegradation is inhibited due to oxygen depletion.
The abovementioned two mechanisms of inhibition of oil biodegradation upon application of oil spill dispersants will be discussed in this chapter.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
No
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Marine snow hampers oil biodegradation in an ocean sediment layer, in S. A. Murawski, C. H. Ainsworth, S. Gilbert, D. J. Hollander, C. B. Paris, M. Schlüter & D. L. Wetzel (Eds.), Deep Oil Spills Facts, Fate, and Effects, Springer, p. 301-311
Scholar Commons Citation
Langenhoff, Alette A. M.; Rahsepar, Shokouh; van Eenennaam, Justine S.; Radović, Jagoš R.; Oldenburg, Thomas B. P.; Foekema, Edwin M.; and Murk, Albertinka J., "Effect of Marine Snow on Microbial Oil Degradation" (2020). C-IMAGE Publications. 166.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cimage_pubs/166
Comments
Data used in this book chapter are available for download.
Marine snow hampers oil biodegradation in an ocean sediment layer