KILL.SPILL
Integrated Biotechnological Solutions for Combating Marine Oil Spills
Oil spill disasters are a worldwide problem and current technologies do not satisfactorily
address the issue. It is important to recognize that 'miracle microorganisms' and 'magic
elixirs' sprinkled on an oil spill will not do the job. An integrated approach considering
at the same time: (1) metabolic requirements of biodegrading organisms alongside the
properties of the oil, (2) environmental limitations on oil biodegradation and (3) innovative
delivery mechanisms for agents that alleviate these bottlenecks is critical. This is the
essence of the Kill.Spill project. It represents a European initiative fully committed to
tackle oil spill disasters in an integrated and interdisciplinary fashion employing highly
efficient remediation strategies. |
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The principal objective of Kill.Spill is to develop
highly efficient, economically and environmentally
viable solutions for the clean-up of oil spills
caused by maritime transport or offshore oil
exploration and related processes, which have
been fully validated in large mesocosm facilities
under controlled conditions and by application
to real life oil spills. In general, once crude oil is spilled, it takes at least one week before biodegradation | processes begin to take effect. Kill.Spill aims
to shorten this start-up period to the absolute
minimum by providing technologies for
example, that provide the necessary nutrients
together with hydrocarbon degrading consortia
and/or enhancing compounds (biosurfactants)
to both accelerate and maximize bioremediation
rates from the time of application. In
addition, when the use of dispersants is recommended,
the previously mentioned biostimulation
and bioaugmentation formulations will |
be applied together with specific compounds
acting as dispersants that take the oil from the
surface to the water column and ultimately to
the sea floor. Taking into account that as we
go deeper in the water column, the amount
of dissolved oxygen is more difficult to replenish
by diffusion, Kill•Spill also offers specific
novel technologies (OxygelTM and AerobeadsTM)
that release oxygen over longer periods of
time. As a result, it maintains greater bioremediation
rates of dispersed oil in the water
column, even when it reaches the sediments.
In cases where it is not feasible, this approach
will be complemented with the development
of processes to stimulate oil biodegradation
anaerobically in anoxic sediments. Once the
dispersed oil reaches the sediments, bioremediation
rates are substantially reduced due to
the prevailing anoxic conditions. Kill.Spill provides
a series of highly innovative technologies
(e.g., 'Kill.Spill snorkel', 'Kill.Spill Robot',
'Kill.Spill Sed-Cleaner') that overcome this
problem and induce enhanced biodegradation
rates in the sediments. These technologies
can also be used for the remediation of recurrently
polluted sediments (from old oil spills)
in all types of environments from the Eastern
Mediterranean to Disko Bay in Greenland. In
addition, several other innovative products will
be developed, e.g. 'Kill.Spill All-in-One', 'Kill.Spill
Deep-sea', 'Kill.Spill Bio-boom', besides the
'Kill.Spill Biosensor' for in-situ monitoring of oil
degradation. |
A toolbox of highly innovative (bio)technologies
will be developed and made readily available
to all emergency response personnel subject to
final approval by the European Marine Safety
Agency and related Member State agencies.
An important aspect of the Kill.Spill project is
the field testing of the developed technologies
in actual oil spills that will occur in Eastern
Mediterranean Sea and in North/Norwegian Sea
over the next 4 years. Kill.Spill has secured the
partnership of two SMEs whose primary business
is the emergency response for combating
oil spills in both marine regions. |
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