Methods for the amelioration of oil toxicity and stimulation of bacterial oil degradation
AssigneeUniversity of South Caroina
InventorsJamie Lead, Alan Decho
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Abstract
Methods are provided for using a combination of nanomaterials and oil-degrading bacteria to detoxify a multiphasic liquid (e.g., an oil-water mixture) and to ameliorate the toxicity of oil to local organisms, e.g., meiobenthos, in or near the area of the multiphasic liquid. The methods can be utilized for oil recovery and environmental clean-up and detoxification after spills and discharges. Through synergistic combination of the nanomaterials with oil degrading bacteria, methods can ameliorate environmental damage due to the presence of oil in an area through increased activation of the bacteria as well as through removal of the oil.
Claims22
A method for detoxifying a multiphasic liquid, the method comprising:
- removing a sample of a multiphasic liquid comprising oil and water from a source of the multiphasic liquid;
- adding a plurality of nanomaterials to the sample of the multiphasic liquid, each of the plurality of nanomaterials comprising a magnetic core and a polymeric shell, the polymeric shell including a polyvinylpyrrolidone-based polymeric material;
- adding a cell suspension comprising an oil degrading bacteria to the sample together with the adding of the plurality of nanomaterials;
- and
- maintaining a mixture comprising the sample of the multiphasic liquid, the plurality of nanomaterials, and the oil degrading bacteria for a period of time, during which all of the oil of the multiphasic liquid sample is adsorbed by the nanomaterials and degraded by the oil degrading bacteria.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.