Oil-Degrading Microorganisms Join Forces with Spill Treating Agents to Fight Oil Spills!

by: Francheska Nicole Rodriguez 

Figure 1. Biodegradation rates by ANS, ANS+Cytosol, and ANS + Thick Slick treatments on (a) Total alkanes, (b) total PAHs, (c) alkanes C30-C35, (d) EPA Priority PAHs monitored by quantifying the remaining concentrations of pollutants over time. 

                    

When most people think about the Deepwater Horizon Spill, they might think or say to themselves, “Yes! It was a long time ago. What happened again?”. This question can expose that the general public is not aware of the  environmental impacts this oil spill had 15 years later. Environmental impacts of oil spills are detrimental because it increases the concentration of environmental pollutants such as n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). One of the most significant advances towards combating these pollutants includes bioremediation which uses microorganisms to reduce the concentration of hazardous wastes in the environment. A study by Kiara L. Lech and colleagues determined if spill treating agents (STAs) or if a family of microorganisms, Sphingomonadaceae and Rhodobacteraceae, facilitated the degradation of oil pollutants at better rates. They conducted their study by monitoring N-alkane and PAH degradation rates using  three treatments of Alaskan Northern Crude Oil (ANS) incorporated with an oil-degrading microorganism and a STA. The control, ANS stand alone, did not contain a STA. Surprisingly, results showcased PAHs and n-alkanes were degraded at higher rates by a treatment that contained a STA and oil-degrading microorganism. These findings highlight the importance of using oil degrading microorganisms and STAs together in order to amplify biodegradation rates. Considering this, the next time someone brings to remembrance an oil spill that occurred, one can ask themselves a different question and think, “What bioremediation methods are being used to treat it?”

Lech KL, Sundaravadivelu D, Grosser RJ, Trutschel LR, Brinkman NE, Conmy RN. 2025. Oil spill surface washing agents and chemical herders drive microbial community structure impacting biodegradation. Appl Environ Microbiol. 91(5):e0233424. [about 16 p.]. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02334-24