Establishing oil-degrading biofilms on gravel particles and glass plates

A method is described for “artificially” establishing biofilms rich in hydrocarbon degrading bacteria on gravel particles and glass plates. The microbial consortia in the biofilms included in additions, filamentous cyanobacteria, picoplankton and diatoms. Phototrophic microorganisms were pioneer colonizers. Hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria, namely Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and nocardioforms were in part attached to filaments of cyanobacteria. In batch cultures, it was shown that those artificial biofilms had an attenuation effect on crude-oil in contaminated sea water samples. The potential use of these biofilms for preparing trickling filters (gravel particles), and in bioreactors (glass plates) for attenuating hydrocarbons in oily liquid wastes before their disposal in the open environment is suggested and discussed.