SBIR (RAPID): Use of SDOX to Provide Dissolved Oxygen to Enhance Bioremediation of Near-shore Spilled Oil in the Gulf of Mexico

墨西哥湾持续不断的石油泄漏将对墨西哥湾的生态系统产生严重而深远的影响。最令人担忧的影响之一将是需要氧气来维持生命过程的生物体窒息，包括那些有助于从生态系统中移除石油的生物体。该项目将使用的专利氧气输送技术(SDOX)注入含有预溶氧的载体水流。对于海岸线处理，不存在气泡，从而允许有效地处理浅水系统。对于墨西哥湾近岸水域溢油的就地生物修复，这应该会增强细菌的生物活性，使自然或接种生物修复漏油的时间大大减少。SDOX向浅水中添加溶解氧的无与伦比的能力使其特别适合于沿海碳氢化合物的生物修复。SDOX部队可以从岸上部署，也可以从关键地点附近的驳船岸上部署，例如路易斯安那州的牡蛎床或佛罗里达州的南沃尔顿海滩。SDOX装置可以与撇油设备一起使用，以去除地面上的散装石油。添加了SDOX的溶解氧将被本地或添加(接种)的细菌用于快速好氧消化水体中的碳氢化合物。SDOX也可用于提供所需的额外氧气，使DO达到鱼类和其他水生生物所需的水平(4毫克/L或更高)。这种高DO水也有利于石油的生物修复，因为它为嵌入沙子和岩石中的微生物提供了有氧消化所需的氧气。如果发现其他营养物质，如氮和磷，也是最佳生物修复所必需的，这些营养物质可以通过SDOX注入。这项研究的更广泛的影响是能够使用便携式SDOX技术进行水生生态系统恢复，这在以前是可行的或不可能的。除了深水地平线漏油事件对墨西哥湾生物修复的迫切需求外，这项技术还有利于改善水生物种的环境，最大限度地减少水电站大坝对环境的影响，以及更经济和高效的废水处理。这项技术可能会对饮用水、娱乐、灌溉和其他对公众和环境重要的水生态服务产生积极影响。

The ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will have severe and far reaching impacts on the ecosystems in the Gulf. Among the most concerning impacts will be suffocation of organisms that require oxygen for their life processes, including those that can help remove the oil from the ecosystem. The patented oxygen delivery technology (SDOX) to be utilized in this project injects a carrier stream of water containing pre-dissolved oxygen. For shoreline treatment, no bubbles are present, thereby allowing effective treatment of shallow systems. For in situ bioremediation of spilled oil in the near shore waters of the Gulf of Mexico, this should enhance bacterial bioactivity to allow the time period for natural or inoculated bioremediation of the oil spill to be significantly reduced.The unmatched ability of SDOX to add dissolved oxygen to shallow water makes it particularly well suited for bioremediation of hydrocarbons along the coast. SDOX units could be deployed from the shore or from a bank of barges just off shore from key locations, such as the oyster beds in Louisiana or South Walton Beach in Florida. The SDOX units could be used in conjunction with skimming equipment that removes the bulk oil from the surface. The dissolved oxygen added by SDOX would be used by indigenous or added (inoculated) bacteria for rapid aerobic digestion of hydrocarbons in the water column. SDOX could also be used to provide the additional oxygen required to bring the DO up to that required for fish and other aquatic life (4 mg/L or higher). This high DO water would also be beneficial in bioremediation of oil that has reached shore by providing the microbes embedded in sand and rock with the oxygen required for aerobic digestion. If it is found that other nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, are also required for optimal bioremediation, these nutrients could be injected through the SDOX.The broader impacts of this research are the ability to use the portable SDOX technology on aquatic ecosystem restoration that has previously been practical or impossible. In addition to the urgent need for bioremediation in the Gulf of Mexico due to the Deep Water Horizon oil spill, this technology benefits an improved environment for aquatic species, minimized environmental impact from hydroelectric dams, and more economic and efficient wastewater treatment. The technology could positively impact drinking water, recreation, irrigation and other aqueous ecological services important to the public and the environment.