Crude oil bioremediation field experiment in the Sea of Japan

Experimental bioremediation of crude oil was conducted for approximately 3 months in the intertidal zone of the Sea of Japan, Hyogo Prefecture. Artificial mixtures of weathered Arabian light crude oil and sand taken from the experimental site were wrapped in polyester net envelopes. The envelopes were placed in drum-shaped acrylic vessels with perforated sides to facilitate seawater exchange. The vessels were laid in the intertidal area. Slow release nitrogen and phosphorus synthetic fertilizer granules were added to the oil–sand mixtures in three different amounts. Some oil–sand mixtures were unfertilized controls. The oil–sand mixtures were periodically sampled and changes in the composition of the residual oils were monitored. Oil samples were subjected to gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry for analysis of some representative semi-volatile aliphatic and aromatic compounds. All values for each analyte were normalized against that of hopane to evaluate the extent of oil biodegradation. Significant increases in the concentrations of both nitrogen and phosphorus were found in the fertilized sections in accordance with the amounts of added fertilizers. Although significant natural attenuation of oil was observed in the unfertilized sections, fertilization stimulated the degradation rate of the oil in the early stage of the experimental term. The extent of the oil biodegradation increased as the amount of added fertilizer increased. However, the final degradation efficiencies for each oil component in the fertilized sections were not significantly different from those in the unfertilized sections, and the degradation of each oil component had almost ceased after 6 weeks. We conclude that excessive amounts of macronutrients are required to accelerate oil biodegradation and that fertilization is only effective in the early stages.