Effects of Nutrient Source and Supply on Crude Oil Biodegradation in Continuous-Flow Beach Microcosms
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 1
Abstract
Ammonium and nitrate were used as nitrogen sources to support microbial biodegradation of crude oil in continuous-flow beach microcosms to determine whether either nutrient was more effective in open systems, such as intertidal shorelines. No differences in the rate or extent of oil biodegradation were observed, regardless of whether these nutrients were provided continuously or intermittently. Nutrients were provided once every two weeks to intermittent-input microcosms and washed out within four to five days. In continuous-input microcosms, ammonium and nitrate were assimilated as quickly as they were provided during the first week, but both accumulated to greater than thereafter. The sensitivity of the oil mineralization rate to nutrient input decreased rapidly as the extent of oil degradation increased, and after about two weeks the rate of oil-mineralization appeared to be independent of nutrient input. Therefore, there may be little value in maintaining a long-term supply of nutrients in contact with oil-contaminated sediments. The rates of microbial assimilation of ammonium and nitrate followed similar trends. Both compounds were assimilated more slowly as the extent of oil biodegradation increased, and the nitrate uptake rates approached zero after about two weeks. Ammonium assimilation continued at a low rate throughout the six-week experiment, but this did not appear to affect the rate of oil mineralization. Assimilation of ammonium resulted in a sharp decrease in the pH of the synthetic seawater that was pumped continuously through the microcosms, but nitrate had a much smaller effect on pH. The magnitude of the ammonium-associated pH change was never as large as was observed in previous studies involving oil biodegradation in batch reactors, however, and did not affect the oil-biodegradation rate.
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Acknowledgments
Weathered Mesa crude oil was obtained from Mr. Gilles Tremblay, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada. Long Cove beach sand was provided by Ms. Susan Cobanli, DFO Canada. Funding for this research was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Contract No. 68-C7-0057, Task Order 21.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 132 • Issue 1 • January 2006
Pages: 75 - 84
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© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 22, 2004
Accepted: Mar 23, 2005
Published online: Jan 1, 2006
Published in print: Jan 2006
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