| Abstrakt: |
In this paper, we describe the aerobic biodegradation of some non-ionic dispersants of the Span, Tween, and Corexit series in sea-water, where they are now more frequently found as a result of their application to the removal of oil spills. First, the extent to which dispersants are biodegraded, as an indication of their suitability for use on a large scale, is discussed. Biodegradation may be carried out by means of monocultures or mixed cultures of marine bacteria of the genera Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, and Flavobacterium. Analytical techniques based on absorbance measurements were used to follow the process. On the other hand, by determining the kinetics of the biodegradation process a more complete analysis is obtained. The kinetic coefficients controlling the process are deduced and it is shown that for some dispersants the experimental results are in close agreement with the proposed scheme. Where observed values are explained on the basis of ethylene oxides content of the dispersants, estimations of the amount of dispersant present in the sea at a given time can be made, if the amount of the dispersant first used is known. |
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