Efficiency of sorption-biological treatment of oil-polluted coastal areas in the Euro-Arctic region

Institute of North Industrial Ecology Problems – Subdivision of the Federal Research Centre “Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Science”, 184209 Apatity, Russian Federation

^* Corresponding author: myazinv@mail.ru

Abstract

A biotechnology based on sorption-biological treatment for the restoration of the Arctic coastal areas after oil spills was proposed. A hydrocarbon-oxidizing microbial preparation based on microfungi (Penicillium janthinellum, Penicillium simplicissimum) and bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas putida) was created. Granular activated carbon, thermoactivated vermiculite, and peat were used as sorbents. The sorbents are concentration centers for microorganisms, prevent the spread of hydrocarbons, and improve the condition of the polluted substrate by optimizing the water-air regime. After treatment, sorbents are not removed from the soil. As a result of laboratory studies at +10°C, the hydrocarbon content in the polluted coastal sand was reduced by 44-60%, and in the coastal soil by 25-68% after three months. This technology can be used at the final stage of coastal areas cleaning, as well as the only method of cleaning in highly sensitive areas. The use of aboriginal hydrocarbon-oxidizing microorganisms, typical of most coastal substrates of the Euro-Arctic region, excludes changes in the structure of the microbial community in these areas. The adaptation of these microorganisms to extreme climatic conditions allows biological treatment to be carried out with high efficiency in the Subarctic and Arctic.