Page 8
The Battalion
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Scientist focuses on bio-remediation
Continued from Page 1
the ocean, providing a constant
source of oil for bacterial con
sumption. Around the channel
there are also dense pine forests,
which add terpene from pine tar
to the Sound in rain runoff. These
factors combined to ensure there
was a bacterial presence in the
contaminated area.
"The bacteria population is
usually restricted by the availibih-
ty of hydrocarbons, but oil sup
plied that," Stiefel said. "The bac
teria multiplied until restricted by
something else— the availability
of nitrogen and phosphorous.
"We sprayed Inipol, an oily
fertilizer developed in France
which sticks to oil on the beach,
and biodegradation increased 90
percent," he said. "We sprayed it
on a test strip of contaminated
beach, and in 10 days the rocks
were clean."
The EPA joined with Exxon in
the research program, and even
tually $4.6 million was spent on
testing to guard against environ
mental damage, Stiefel said. Be
cause of strong currents in Prince
William Sound, the extra fertiliz
ers caused no algal blooms, and
cold temperatures did not hinder
the bacteria.
A major reason bioremediation
was more successful than other
methods of cleanup was that the
oil-contaminated areas of Prince
William Sound were very remote,
and nearly impossible to access
with more conventional clean up
equipment, Stiefel said.
The nearest civilization,
Valdez, Alaska, was three hours
by boat or 45 minutes by heli
copter from the nearest oil.
"Just getting to the contaminat
ed sites was a major accomplish
ment," he said. "We eventually
had more than 11,000 workers
cleaning up the coastline, living
on big personnel ships along the
coast.
Once the armada of cleanup
ships arrived at a contaminated
site, personnel equipped with liq
uid fertilizer sprayers would satu
rate the beach, then the ships
would move on to the next site,
Stiefel said. The bacteria were so
effective, nothing else had to be
done.
"Many of the organisms dam
aged by the spill have increased
population, and most of the oil
has been incorporated into the
food chain," Stiefel said. "Recov
ery of the area is well on its way."
A&M researchers develop
oil-eating microorganisms
By Jayme Blaschke
The Battalion
An oil spill can be one of the
most environmentally damag
ing man-made disasters, but
researchers at Texas A&M are
developing an innovative
cleanup method for spills using
microorganisms.
Bioremediation gained na
tional attention during the
Mega Borg oil spill off the Texas
coast, when A&M researchers
used microorganisms in an ef
fort to break up part of the spill.
Dr. Roy Harm of the envi
ronmental engineering pro
gram at A&M said it has taken
a while, but federal and state
money is becoming available.
"In the past several months
there has been a tremendous
resurgence of interest in biore
mediation," Hahn said. "Be
cause of that, federal and state
money promised over a year
ago is finally starting to make it
through the bureaucracy."
He said one part of the Texas
A&M University System —
Lamar University in Beaumont
— has already received some
significant state funding.
Dr. James Bonner of the
A&M Civil Engineering Depart
ment said two-thirds of his
work involves bioremediation,
and emphasis on it is increasing
dramatically.
"The Coast Guard is a key
proponent of bioremediation,
and is in a major evaluative
phase right now," Bonner said.
"The Mega Borg was big pub
licity for us, because a year ago
no one had heard of bioremedi
ation, and it made up only a
small percentage of oil spill re
search. It makes up about 18
percent now.
"Results have been so posi
tive that we just received $2.5
million from the Department of
Defense to develop a program
that will use bioremediation to
break down nerve gas," he shid.
"That's kind of a razzle-dazzle
program, but it shows the po
tential applications of these or
ganisms."
Despite its promise, biore
mediation is not a magic reme
dy, Hahn said. Because thepr^
cess uses living microbes ii
break down the oil, it is onlyel-
fective in certain situations.
"Several things are necessai)
for the process to work," Hall
said. "A carbon source, which
the oil, nutrients, and enzymes
to make the 'bugs' grow faster.
"They will be most effective
in areas with poor accessibility
"Results have been so
positive that we just
received $2.5 million
from the Department of
Defense to develop a
program that will use
bio-remediation to
break down nerve gas,
— Dr. James Bonneroflh
A&M Civil Ertgineeriy
Departmat
where physical cleanup ani
chemical agents can't be usd,'
he said. "They will be excellent
for oil-damaged soil around
well blowouts, in marshes and
remote areas."
Bioremediation will never
replace all other forms
cleanup, because eachcasehas
specific conditions that mayor
may not be favorable ‘
isms to work, Bonner said.
Oil spills on the open ocean
would be particularly
for microorganisms to break
up.
"The problem withspilk
the open ocean is that the bup
need nutrients in order to break
down hydrocarbons," hesaid
"Because of the oceancurrenls
and huge areas involved,the
hugs go one way, the nutrient'
go another, and the oil goesai>
other.
"On an oil-soaked bead
however, the logistics are rigk
for the nutrients and bugsle
settle in and break down!
oil," Bonner said. "There'sitol
really another process that is
more suitable for sue!a
cleanup."
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