Effect of microbial seeding of crude oil in seawater in a model system
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TL;DR
The adding of a mixed culture of marine hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria to petroleum polluted seawater did not increase the hydrocarbon degradation capability of the water while the autochthonous bacteria showed a capacity for adaptation to petroleum degradation about four days after the oil spill, confirming the advantage of natural bacterial communities.
Abstract
The adding of a mixed culture of marine hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria to petroleum polluted seawater did not increase the hydrocarbon degradation capability of the water. All the strains of the mixed culture disappeared from the dominant microflora while the autochthonous bacteria showed a capacity for adaptation to petroleum degradation about four days after the oil spill. This confirms the advantage of natural bacterial communities. The oil spilled on the sea surface evolved very quickly under the influence of abiotic factors such as sunlight. Aromatic petroleum fractions were oxidized and polymerized. This chemical evolution causes a drastic decrease of the biodegradability of crude oil.