Bioremediation: Let the healing begin!
The Critter Company
Wednesday, November 17, 1999
3:00 p.m.Pacific Forum
Trillions and trillions of ravenous, gluttonous microbes, gorging themselves on an oil
spill (or other organic contamination), leaving only carbon dioxide, water and trace
elements of fatty acids in their wake. It doesnt get better than this!
Nature has been degrading organic contamination with microbes for a very long time.
Bioremediation simply shortens the process by adding great quantities of the non-toxic,
non-pathogenic and naturally occurring microbes specifically chosen to degrade the
offending contaminant(s) to the site. It is effective in fresh and salt water and in soil.
The objective in bioremediation is to put as many contamination-degrading microbes as
possible in contact with the contaminant. Once the microbes are in touch with the
contamination, the feeding frenzy begins.
Organic contamination is comprised of chains of carbon molecules. Some carbon chains
are long. Some are short. Petroleum products, restaurant grease, septic sludge, animal
urine and manure are a few examples of organic contaminants. The microbes "eat,"
or rather "break down," the carbon chains until the contaminant is completely
The ocean is an excellent arena for the use of bioremediation. When an oil slick is
treated with microbes, the cleaning process begins immediately. The microbes latch onto
the contaminant and do not let go until it is completely eliminated. When the mass is
cleaned, the microbes die.
Applications for bioremediation, effective treatment methods, and examples of sites
cleaned will be among the topics discussed.
Introduction to MBARI's new Expedition and
Last updated: December 19, 2000