The microbial degradation of oil in the sea

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Abstract
Oil in the sea, whether from natural seepage or spillage undergoes weathering and loses its lighter fractions so that it sinks: emulsification can also take place. Action to remove spillage includes the use of sinking agents or emulsifiers. From the moment oil is released, microbial infection takes place. This leads to further chemical and physical changes in the oil. Depending on the presence of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate, oxygen) and other factors such as temperature, oil droplet size etc., microbial growth and consequent oil degradation proceeds. In laboratory experiments and some field studies about 40–90% of the oil may degrade. Alkanes and other saturated compounds are the first to be degraded, aromatic and heterocyclic compounds follow: no complete stoichiometric account has yet been made. Sinking agents and dispersants may affect the rate and pattern of degradation.

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