Visualisation of bacterial degradation and mobilisation of oil in a porous medium
| Autor: | E. Oppen, J. E. Paulsen, S. Ekrann |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 1999 |
| Předmět: |
Capillary action
General Engineering Inverted microscope Biofilm Environmental engineering Capillary number Surface tension chemistry.chemical_compound chemistry Chemical engineering Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) General Earth and Planetary Sciences Environmental Chemistry Petroleum Degradation (geology) Porous medium General Environmental Science Water Science and Technology |
| Zdroj: | Environmental Geology. 38:204-208 |
| ISSN: | 1432-0495 0943-0105 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s002540050416 |
| Popis: | Bacterial interaction with oil and sea water, in a porous medium, was studied using a transparent micro model mounted on a cybernetic-controlled positioning board of an inverted microscope. This was interfaced with computer-operated image analysis and surveillance equipment. Consecutive flooding of the model allowed oil to become trapped by capillary forces. Hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria were inoculated. The interaction of biofilm and oil was monitored during a period of 25 days, while mineral salts were supplied intermittently. A unique feature of biofilm behaviour was discovered. The phenomenon is discussed, and calculations are presented. A possible explanation of the phenomenon appears to be local reductions of the surface tension. The phenomenon helps explain why bacteria are able to mobilise oil trapped by capillary forces without reducing the interfacial tension to a level that leads to an increase in the capillary number sufficient to explain incremental oil recovery. The experimental design is believed to be suitable for studying biofilm behaviour on the pore level. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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