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Evidence for in situ crude oil biodegradation after the Prestige oil spill
Author(s) -
MedinaBellver Javier I.,
Marín Patricia,
Delgado Antonio,
RodríguezSánchez Alicia,
Reyes Emilio,
Ramos Juan L.,
Marqués Silvia
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2005.00742.x
Subject(s) - phenanthrene , seawater , biodegradation , environmental chemistry , petroleum , population , naphthalene , fuel oil , dry weight , crude oil , oil spill , biology , environmental science , pulp and paper industry , environmental engineering , chemistry , ecology , oceanography , botany , geology , organic chemistry , paleontology , demography , sociology , engineering , petroleum engineering
Summary In November 2002, the oil tanker Prestige sank off the Spanish coast after releasing approximately 17 000 tones of heavy fuel, coating several hundred kilometres of coastline in oil sludge. In December 2002 and February 2003, samples were collected from the shore of the Galician coast to analyse the indigenous population ability to carry out crude oil degradation in situ . Carbon isotopic ratio of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in seawater samples was used as a rapid method to directly assess activity of microbes on the oil components. 12 CO 2 / 13 CO 2 ratio in samples from certain locations along the coast revealed degradation of a very δ 13 C‐negative source such as the Prestige crude oil (−30.6‰). Putative biodegradation processes taking place at areas with high income of fresh seawater could not be detected with this technique. Laboratory‐scale biostimulation processes carried out in samples with the highest oil biodegradation activity showed that N/P deficiency in seawater is a limiting factor for crude oil degradation. The most probable number (MPN) of crude oil component degraders was estimated for several aromatic compounds (naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, pyrene) and for undecane. Our results clearly show that bacteria present in the contaminated water are readily able to transform components of the crude oil into inorganic carbon.