Development of Bioremediation for Oil Spill Cleanup in Coastal Wetlands

Although bioremediation for oil spill cleanup has received considerable attention in recent years, its satisfactory use in the cleanup of oil spills in the wetland environment is still questionable and generally untested. We have conducted a multi-disciplinary experimental program to evaluate the use of various bioremediation products, including microbial seeding, inorganic fertilizer, and soil oxidant, as a means of enhancing oil biodegradation in coastal salt marshes. The overall goal was to determine the potential for oil bioremediation in coastal marshes. The specific objectives of this research were to determine (1) the toxicity and ecological safety of some common biodegradation agents, (2) the effect of these bioremediation agents on crude oil degradation under the most common marsh inundation environments, (3) the effect of biostimulants on crude oil degradation as a function of soil texture, and (4) the comparative efficacy of bioremediation and phytoremediation of oil. Chapters 1 through 4 address the above objectives