Effect of Marine Snow on Microbial Oil Degradation

Abstract

In the aftermath of an oil spill, a possible response is the addition of chemical dispersants to prevent further spreading of the spilled oil on the ocean surface. The main objective is to enhance the formation of smaller oil droplets by reducing the interfacial tension between oil and water, thus dispersing the oil into the water column. The resulting solubilized oil with microdroplets along with the associated toxic compounds will be swiftly incorporated into the seawater. The formation of smaller oil droplets and the dispersant enhanced solubilized oil will increase its availability for bacteria and thus the biodegradability. Subsequently, the number and activity of oil-degrading bacteria increases, and more oil will be degraded in a shorter period of time (Kessler et al., Science 331:312–315, 2011). However, during the immediate release of the dispersed oil, volatile hydrocarbons including some of the more toxic compounds of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) can inhibit the oil degradation (Sherry et al., Front Microbiol 5:131, 2014).