Oil spill treatment
A Three Stage Process
A first part of the oil is washed out by using a water solution of
biosurfactant, and subsequently separated. The collected oil can even
be used again. The biosurfactant solution used in the washing process
can be applied up to ten times and is easily biodegraded into a common
natural compound.
The oil that is still bound in the soil can then be treated with specially
selected micro-organisms to lower contamination concentration to a
level when phytoremediation can start.
Phytoremediation consists of decreasing pollutant concentrations in
contaminated soils, by growing plants able to degrade to an acceptable
level or render harmless the contaminants in the soil.
In total, the process will take approximately one year, depending upon
the severity of the contamination and the location. Location is an
important factor in the process.
Other solutions use genetically modified bacteria which have their own
potential problems, including a lack of public trust