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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Enhanced Oil Recovery using a Combination of Biosurfactants
Published on: June 3, 2022
Suspended particles enhance biodegradation of oil in sea
Andrew Loh1, Ravi Shankar1, Sung Yong Ha2
1Oil and POPs Research Group, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje 53201, Republic of Korea; Department of Ocean Science, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Biodegradation patterns of oil in four distinct phases were compared over a 14-day series of exposures. The dispersibility and stability of oil droplets in the water column were important factors affecting oil biodegradation. Due to the stability of oil droplets with particle interactions, oil-suspended particulate matter aggregates (OSA) showed a five-fold enhancement in biodegradation compared to non-dispersed oil. The reduction of total petroleum hydrocarbons was highest in OSA (51.45%), followed by chemically dispersed oil (33.5%), oil film (21.6%), and water-accommodated fractions (WAF, 14.3%). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) profiles and percentage weathering plots showed that reductions in PAHs in WAF, oil film, and chemically dispersed oil were mainly due to evaporation (41.5-69.5%) and only partially due to biodegradation (7.4-16.3%). However, the reduction of PAHs in OSA was driven more by biodegradation (36.8%) than evaporation (29.7%). The strong PAH-particle interactions in OSA inhibited evaporation of PAHs and enhanced microorganism biodegradation in the water column.
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