Project Information

Title: Pilot studies of bioremediation of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill - Amendment 11100836-A

Project Year and Number: 2012: 11100836-A

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2011: 11100836, 2010: 10100128

Principal Investigator (PI): Michel Boufadel

Managing Agency: NOAA

Assisting Personnel: Jacqui Michel, Brian Wrenn

Research Location: Prince William Sound

Restoration Category: Research

Injured Resources Addressed: Not Specified

Abstract: During the summer of 2011, staff from the Center for Natural Resource Development and Protection at Temple University evaluated the feasibility of enhancing biodegradation (i.e., bioremediation) in order to perform remediation of four Prince William Sound beaches where lingering Exxon Valdez oil persists: EL056C.3 (Eleanor Island), LA015E (Latouche Island), PWS3A44 (Perry Island), and SM006B (Smith Island). Our method relied on injecting beneath the oil layer on each beach a solution of hydrogen peroxide (100 mg/L), lithium nitrate (20 mg N/L), and sodium tripolyphosphate (2 mg P/L). The results from EL056C.3 and SM006B were the only ones available at the time of this request. Those from EL056C.3 showed that the oil in the experimental plots there biodegraded by 30 to 50% within one month. The results from SM006B suggested that no oil biodegradation occurred at that site. We are proposing to conduct additional feasibilty work in Summer 2012 on two beaches: EL056C.3 and SM006B. On EL056C.3 we propose to expand operations in order to determine the maximum extent of biodegradation on the experimental plot used during Summer 2011 and to extend the boundaries of our technique to include the oil-contaminated areas to the right (facing landward) and in the lower intertidal zone. For SM006B, we are proposing to increase the injection pressure, as we believe most of the injected solutions were depleted within a short distance from the well tips. Beach PWS3A44 is similar in morphology to EL056C, while Beach LA015E had little oil. Therefore, pursuing the investigation on these two beaches is not as crucial as on the two beaches for which additional work is proposed. This request also seeks funding for a two-step process of evaluating, for suitability as candidates for bioremediation, 53 oiled sites identified by Research Planning Incorporated’s (RPI’s) model for locating lingering oil as having greater than 30% distribution of moderately oiled residue at a 70% predicted probability value. This evaluation will include a desktop exercise as well as field verification.


Proposal: View (233 KB)

Reports:
Final Report: See Project 11100836

Publications from this Project: None Available