RAPID: Affect of Petroleum Deposit Geometry on Biodegradation Potential and Long-Term Persistence

主要研究者：Amy Pruden提案编号：1053221机构：弗吉尼亚理工学院和州立大学标题：快速：石油存款几何形状对生物降解潜力和长期持久性的影响目前的墨西哥湾石油泄漏污染了前所未有的广阔海岸线原油。 因此，石油沉积物沿着海岸积聚的程度代表了人类以前从未遇到过的规模。 这强调了开发和应用最佳可用工具来预测来自这些矿床的潜在污染物的长期持久性并为潜在的补救战略提供信息的紧迫性。 拟议的快速响应研究项目将采用一种新的综合分子生物学和建模方法，严格审查石油存款几何形状在管理PCOC衰减的作用。 考虑到需要在飓风破坏前确定油田石油矿床的特征，以及需要获得尚未被石油污染的海岸线样本，以研究微生物适应在控制生物降解潜力方面的时间尺度和重要性，资金尤为紧迫。存款的几何形状仍然是一个未开发的，但潜在的关键因素，管理原油泄漏到海湾的最终命运。 拟议的研究工作的一个特别新颖的方面是综合分子微生物和建模方法，将用于提高原油矿床的持久性预测。 因此，本研究的三个目标是：1）确定几何形状在原油沉积物通过溶解和生物降解而衰减中的作用：2）确定石油存款几何形状对主要电子受体条件、总体生物降解速率和微生物适应时间尺度的影响;（3）建立了考虑油气存款几何学和微生物因素的改进的石油烃衰减模型。 这些目标将通过结合现场、实验室和计算建模工作来实现，包括测试各种石油存款几何形状的3D罐实验。 针对与感兴趣的关键功能相对应的基因的基因组工具，包括好氧多环芳烃（PAH）生物降解和反硝化、硫酸盐还原和产甲烷条件，将用于表征石油矿床的上表面、下表面和侧表面，并支持开发微生物对石油溶解和生物降解的贡献的概念模型。 最终的结果将是一个计算工具来模拟PHC溶解速率耦合到海洋和海滩沉积物中的微生物活性和水相运输。 该模型将特别有助于估计原油沉积物中PCOC的补救时间。当前墨西哥湾漏油危机的紧迫性显而易见。 目前的估计是，超过500英里的海岸线已经被大量的焦油球和油片污染。 这些石油储备会被有意或无意地覆盖，导致持续数年甚至数十年。 拟议的工作将填补预测石油矿床和相关石油公司的长期持久性和最终命运所需的关键知识空白，从而将为决策者提供有关补救战略的关键信息。 此外，该项目将为博士和本科生提供一个鼓舞人心的培训主题，他们都将在实地采样工作中发挥不可或缺的作用。 PI还通过弗吉尼亚理工大学工程想象营积极为代表性不足的初中学生开展漏油清理活动。 两个PI还将在CEE 2804土木与环境工程导论的各自部分中将漏油案例研究作为一个有价值和鼓舞人心的学习工具。 项目小组的目标是迅速向科学界传播成果，包括同行评审的出版物和在科学会议上的介绍。

PI: Amy PrudenProposal Number: 1053221Institution: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityTitle: RAPID: Effect of Petroleum Deposit Geometry on Biodegradation Potential and Long-Term PersistenceThe current Gulf of Mexico oil spill has contaminated an unprecedented expanse of shoreline with crude oil. Thus, the extent of petroleum deposits accumulating along the coast represents a scale never before encountered by humankind. This underscores a critical urgency to develop and apply the best available tools to predict the long term persistence of potential contaminants of concern (PCOCs) derived from these deposits and to inform potential remediation strategies. The proposed RAPID response research project will apply a novel integrated molecular biological and modeling approach to critically examine the role of petroleum deposit geometry in governing the attenuation of PCOCs. Funding is particularly urgent considering the need to characterize petroleum deposits in the field prior to their disruption by hurricanes and also to obtain shoreline samples that have not yet been tainted with oil in order to examine the time scale and importance of microbial adaptation in governing biodegradation potential.While the importance of geometry on the fate and transport of other light non aqueous phase liquid (LNAPLs) has been established, deposit geometry remains an unexplored yet potentially critical factor governing the ultimate fate of the crude oil spilled into the Gulf. A particularly novel aspect of the proposed research effort is the integrated molecular microbiological and modeling approach that will be used to enhance predictions of persistence of crude oil deposits. Thus the three objectives of this research are to: 1) Determine the role of geometry in the attenuation of crude oil deposits via dissolution and biodegradation; 2) Determine the effect of petroleum deposit geometry on predominant electron acceptor conditions, overall biodegradation rates, and time scale for microbial adaptation; and 3) Develop an improved model of petroleum hydrocarbon attenuation considerate of petroleum deposit geometry and microbiological factors. These objectives will be accomplished through a combined field, laboratory, and computational modeling effort, including 3 D tank experiments testing various petroleum deposit geometries. Genome enabled tools targeting genes corresponding to key functions of interest, including aerobic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) biodegradation and denitrifying, sulfate reducing and methanogenic conditions will be applied to characterize the upper, lower, and lateral surfaces of the petroleum deposits and to support the development of a conceptual model of the microbial contribution to petroleum dissolution and biodegradation. The ultimate outcome will be a computational tool to simulate PHC dissolution rates coupled to microbial activity and aqueous phase transport in marine and beach sediments. This model will be particularly useful in estimating time of remediation of PCOCs derived from crude oil deposits.The urgent nature of the current Gulf of Mexico oil spill crisis is readily apparent. Current estimates are that over 500 miles of shoreline have already been contaminated with an extensive array of tar balls and oil sheets. These oil deposits will be capped intentionally and unintentionally, resulting in persistence for years or perhaps even decades. The proposed work will fill a critical knowledge gap required to predict the long term persistence and ultimate fate of the oil deposits and associated PCOCs and thus will provide critical information to decision makers regarding remedial strategies. Additionally, the project will provide an inspiring training topic for a PhD and an undergraduate student, both of whom will play an integral role in the field sampling effort. The PI is also actively conducting hands on oil spill cleanup activities for underrepresented junior high students via the Virginia Tech College of Engineering Imagination Camp. Both PIs will also be featuring the oil spill case study as a valuable and inspiring learning tool in their respective sections of CEE 2804 Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering. The project team aims for rapid dissemination of the results to the scientific community, including peer reviewed publications and presentations at scientific conferences.