Bioremediation: an overview of its development and use for oil spill cleanup

Abstract

Bioremediation as a technique for marine oil spill cleanup is reviewed in the context of its recent historical development in the United States, which was highly influenced by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. The development of bioremediation is examined as a prototype for new environmental technologies, which involve interactions between scientific researchers, the public, the media and government regulators. Bioremediation has a role to play in long term cleanup of oil contaminated shorelines, especially in sensitive environments.