Microbes that eat oil

[sontek]

I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge of these microbes that were used in the Texas oil spill and how/if we could use them for deepwater horizon?

Here is a video on them:
YouTube - Gulf Oil Spill-Gutsy Solution Restores Environment in Just Six Weeks

But I would like to find some more reliable sources than a youtube video

I did find this article saying that this type of oil can't be eaten as easily by microbes:
Experts: Oil spill is the ?bad one? they feared - Science- msnbc.com

but that doesn't mean it wouldn't hurt to put a bunch of them down there to help out... Would definitely be better than doing nothing.

I found another article about it:
Slick Solution: How Microbes Will Clean Up the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Scientific American

 

[joe8mofo]

Sontek,

There are naturally occurring microbes in the water that thrive off of the oil already; however they do untold amounts of damage by consuming oxygen in the water as they consume the oil; creating vast areas of hypoxic seawater. The use of dispersants has broken up the oil so that it sits below the surface and in small droplets; this increases the surface area of the oil so that it can be consumed faster by microbes. I see the use of dispersants as simply a method of hiding the true impact from the general public, it would be much easier to simply suck the oil off of the surface with massive super-tankers; however doing so costs much more than using dispersants does.

 

[Straegen]

Actually the gulf is constantly leaking oil and has been for a very long time. If they leave the spill in the water column alone, it will clean itself up in time and in a much shorter time frame than most people realize. My concern is they use a chemical treatment process and make things worse long term for a short term gain.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Actually the gulf is constantly leaking oil and has been for a very long time. If they leave the spill in the water column alone, it will clean itself up in time and in a much shorter time frame than most people realize. My concern is they use a chemical treatment process and make things worse long term for a short term gain.

While its true there are natural seeps in the Gulf, its at NOWHERE near the amount thats leaking out of this full blown gusher.

Nature won't be able to keep up(short term atleast) with what we've done to the environment in this area.

 

[Straegen]

I think the estimate is around 1,000,000 barrels of oil in the gulf each year from "natural" sources. Not sure what the current count is on the "leak" but I think it is around 500,000 barrels. Now those aren't an apple to apple comparison since the oil spewing hasn't gone through any natural filter and it is spewing in addition to the natural sources. However, nature will catch up. It did back in the 70s and it will again (I think 3-5 years on a much bigger spill but will agree many factors and conditions are different). Once this issue is resolved, we may need to be patient and not make things worse trying to clean up the mess.

I don't want to discount the importance of getting this fixed. I just to avoid the often over exaggerated scare tactics used by various groups and politicians on matters like this. Very important yes, but will most Americans remember this in 20 years? Probably not unless it gets MUCH worse.

 

[vintagediver]

Sontek,

There are naturally occurring microbes in the water that thrive off of the oil already; however they do untold amounts of damage by consuming oxygen in the water as they consume the oil; creating vast areas of hypoxic seawater. The use of dispersants has broken up the oil so that it sits below the surface and in small droplets; this increases the surface area of the oil so that it can be consumed faster by microbes. I see the use of dispersants as simply a method of hiding the true impact from the general public, it would be much easier to simply suck the oil off of the surface with massive super-tankers; however doing so costs much more than using dispersants does.

After discussing this very thing with a good friend who has been manufacturing bioremediate products for the oil industry, he said that dispersing the oil is exactly what you don't want to do. He is currently making products to treat this spill. By dispersing the oil it relocates it in a zone (1500 feet) that is oxygen depleted and hampers the bioremediate action. The best way is to leave it alone and treat it at the surface. He has told me that he believes the reason they tried to disperse it was for exactly the reason you stated. To make it appear much less than it is.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I think the estimate is around 1,000,000 barrels of oil in the gulf each year from "natural" sources.

According to one article, 500,000 barrels seep naturally in the Gulf of Mex each year.

In a paper presented at the 2000 Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, and titled Estimates of Total Hydrocarbon Seepage into the Gulf of Mexico Based on Satellite Remote Sensing Images, one researcher estimated that 500,000 barrels of oil seep into the Gulf each year, twice the result of the Exxon Valdez spill. That seepage is not addressed by any government, and mitigation efforts are non-existent.

In perspective, we've had a years worth of oil, come out of one area, in about a month. This is still gushing, at rates higher than what was earlier announced. This is a big friggin deal. Nature isn't going to just shrug it off.

 

[Angry Turtle]

I think the estimate is around 1,000,000 barrels of oil in the gulf each year from "natural" sources. Not sure what the current count is on the "leak" but I think it is around 500,000 barrels. Now those aren't an apple to apple comparison since the oil spewing hasn't gone through any natural filter and it is spewing in addition to the natural sources. However, nature will catch up. It did back in the 70s and it will again (I think 3-5 years on a much bigger spill but will agree many factors and conditions are different). Once this issue is resolved, we may need to be patient and not make things worse trying to clean up the mess.

I don't want to discount the importance of getting this fixed. I just to avoid the often over exaggerated scare tactics used by various groups and politicians on matters like this. Very important yes, but will most Americans remember this in 20 years? Probably not unless it gets MUCH worse.

considering the exxon valdez happened when I was a kid, and this is MUCH bigger and closer to me....yeah I think so.

 

[CW2008]

"(1500 feet) that is oxygen depleted and hampers the bioremediate action"

I would think that since they are anaerobes (aren't they?) that oxygen is less a limiting factor than cold temps at those depths. I know nothing about these bacteria, but wouldn't they get their O2 from the oil? I am not an expert, and I reserve the right to be wrong here. If you have ever worked with microbes (I know that sounds strange) you realize how dynamic their populations are. And this is definitely a big deal, but I think that we will be surprised at the recovery time (but certainly not overnight). It is not the end of the world, but it is the end of some peoples lives and careers. Just pray that they are able to stop the leak soon. No doubt a lot of clean up work will have to be done for the next several months (years?) even if it stops right now.

 

[chris_b]

...Very important yes, but will most Americans remember this in 20 years? Probably not unless it gets MUCH worse.

Is there evidence that it is going to get better, stay the same, or only mildly worsen from here on out?