A Natural Solution to the BP Oil Spill By Justin Shannin
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A NATURAL SOLUTION 1
A Natural Solution to the BP Oil
Spill
By Justin ShanninA NATURAL SOLUTION 2
Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has created deadly effects for
animals and plants. BP finally stemmed the oil from gushing out, but over 50 million
gallons remain in the ocean and current removal techniques, while successful, take time
to remove all the oil. The bacterial genus vibrio naturally consumes oil due to oil’s
makeup of hydrocarbons, and vibrio lives naturally in the Gulf of Mexico. The
drawbacks due to this process known as bioremediation are potentially lethal vibrio
infections for humans and animals, as well as the process being slow. Because
bioremediation occurs naturally, no actions can stop the process, but scientists can try to
control or better understand bioremediation.A NATURAL SOLUTION 3
On April 20, 2010, the British Petroleum owned Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig located
about 40 miles southeast of Louisiana’s coast, exploded and 11 people were killed (Aigner, et al.,
2010). Two days later, the rig sunk, and the United States government estimated anywhere from
51.2 to 145.9 million gallons of oil spread across the Gulf of Mexico (Aigner, et al., 2010). The
oil caused immediate problems not just for the surrounding sea-life but also avian life and even
human life (Haeyoun, XAQUÍN, Roberts, Aigner, & Carter, 2010). The oil decimated certain
aquatic populations and disrupted the food chain, making less food available for seabirds and
humans to eat (Haeyoun, XAQUÍN, Roberts, Aigner, & Carter, 2010). Often, seabirds will dive
into the oil which clings to their feathers impeding flight ability and causing hyperthermia
(Haeyoun, XAQUÍN, Roberts, Aigner, & Carter, 2010). Over 3,000 animals have died or have
been permanently harmed because of the oil (Haeyoun, XAQUÍN, Roberts, Aigner, & Carter,
2010). Oil has reached and polluted coastal land in over 40 locations (Aigner, et al., 2010). BP
employed many different techniques to stem and remove the spreading oil, but most failed
outright or only partially aided in removing the oil.
First, BP sent four robotic vehicles underwater to a structure called the blowout preventer
(referred to as BOP), located 5,067 feet below the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. As its name
suggests, one of the main purposes of the BOP is to stop the flow of oil in the case of a spill
(Corum, Granberg, Grondahl, Haeyoun, Xaquin, & Roberts, 2010) and (Grondahl, Haeyoun,
Roberts, & Tse, 2010). The robots attempted to manually shut a valve called the blind shear ram:
two rubber seals that come together and stop the flow. Multiple attempts to activate the blind
shear ram failed for unsure reasons (Corum, Granberg, Grondahl, Haeyoun, Xaquin, & Roberts,
2010) and (Grondahl, Haeyoun, Roberts, & Tse, 2010). On April 30, chemical dispersants were
sprayed where oil was continuing to gush in hopes the oil would become thinner and not clumpA NATURAL SOLUTION 4
on top of the ocean (Corum, Granberg, Grondahl, Haeyoun, Xaquin, & Roberts, 2010).
Adversely, chemical dispersants spread oil over a larger area and though not all the oil has
clumped on the surface, reports have noted mile long plumes of oil residing underwater, which
can be just as dangerous or even more so to the aquatic ecosystem because fish may attempt to
swim through the oil. Researchers are not entirely sure if the dispersants caused the underwater
plumes state the possibility (Corum, Granberg, Grondahl, Haeyoun, Xaquin, & Roberts, 2010)
and (Bigg, 2010). Another method involved putting a cap over the leaky hole which had drawn
the oil onto ships and can be salvaged or burned, though oil continued to leak (Corum, Granberg,
Grondahl, Haeyoun, Xaquin, & Roberts, 2010).
The current method of stopping the oil leak, which actually succeeded, replaced the old
cap with a new, tighter cap comprised of a similar mechanism to the blind shear ram. (Campbell
& Fountain, 2010) and (Corum, Granberg, Grondahl, Haeyoun, Xaquin, & Roberts, 2010). The
new cap is equipped with pressure gauges that will warn if pressure is low, meaning oil is
leaking (Campbell & Fountain, 2010). Because of the new cap, the ships have currently stopped
salvaging oil directly from the well, though BP will most likely resume that operation with four
ships later in July or August (Corum, Granberg, Grondahl, Haeyoun, Xaquin, & Roberts, 2010).
Many different techniques for removing oil from the ocean exist for different
circumstances. One method involves burning oil laying on the ocean’s surface, but though this
eliminates the oil, the large plumes of smoke emitted from burning mile long oil plumes are bad
for the environment, atmosphere, and ozone (BP). Containment booms enclose the oil within a
certain area, increasing the concentration of oil and allowing skimmers and vacuums to remove
the oil, but the booms cannot work in deep water nor in the presence of large waves (BP).A NATURAL SOLUTION 5
Fortunately, another avenue of removal called bioremediation occurs naturally in the
environment.
In the Gulf of Mexico, the bacteria genus vibrio thrives off hydrocarbons, which is what
oil is comprised of, performing the process of bioremediation. Research has shown that more
than 17,000 chemical compounds exist in crude oil, and different microbes break down different
compounds in the oil. The genus vibrio targets aromatic hydrocarbons which tend to be more
toxic and possibly carcinogenic to humans, like benzene (Voosen, 2010). Essentially, this vibrio
bacterium can eat oil (Voosen, 2010).
The genus vibrio, part of the Vibrionaceae family, is Gram-positive and rod-shaped.
Vibrio bacteria are motile because of sheathed, polar flagella, though different species of vibrio
have different numbers of flagella (Clark). The genus vibrio is classified into many different
species; the species of vibrio present in the Gulf of Mexico are V. vulnificus, V. splendidus, V.
cholerae, V. tapetis, V. fluvialis, V. harveyi, and V. parahaemolyticus (Felder & Camp, 2009).
Though vibrio species’ potential sounds extremely promising, many drawbacks exist.
First off, vibrio species are microbes; they are microscopic bacteria, not giant, oil guzzling
machines. While scientists are unsure how much oil vibrio species can consume, research
suggests the amount may be as little as a pipette full every few days (Patricia F. Dimond, 2010).
Research also suggests that bioremediation becomes less effective in lower temperatures, so the
deeper the oil the slower the vibrio species will consume because temperature decreases with oil
depth (Biello, 2010). Bioremediation also becomes less efficient away from shores in open water
and in large morasses of oil (Biello, 2010). However, though the long term effects of the
chemical dispersants BP sprayed over the gushing oil are unknown, many scientists think theA NATURAL SOLUTION 6
dispersants will trigger microbial growth for different microbes including vibrio species. The
chemical dispersants may also increase the rate of bioremediation because vibrio species
consume oil faster when its thinner (Patricia F. Dimond, 2010).
Besides possible inefficiency, vibrio species also present health problems for both
humans and aquatic life. The main cause of infection has been traced back to raw seafood,
especially oysters and other shellfish, due to their shared location in the Gulf (CDC, Vibrio
Vulnificus: General Information, 2009) and (Voosen, 2010). If shellfish are fully cooked prior to
consumption, the heat will kill all vibrio species present. Since vibrio do not for spores, no extra
measures such as increased pressure must be applied to ensure the oyster is free of vibrio
contamination (Conference). Another pathway for illness contraction is direct contact of an open
wound with vibrio infested water, or drinking contaminated water (CDC, Vibrio
Parahaemolyticus: General Information, 2009) and (CDC, Vibrio Vulnificus: General
Information, 2009). Some fish can also become contaminated by different vibrio species.
The species V. parahaemolyticus can cause watery diarrhea, cramping, nausea, chills,
fever, and vomiting. While this species causes about 4500 infections per year, it is rarely lethal
and infection only lasts about 3 days (CDC, Vibrio Parahaemolyticus: General Information,
2009). On the contrary, V. Vulnificus, which usually has similar symptoms, tends to be more fatal
than V. parahaemolyticus (Voosen, 2010). About 900 cases of V vulnificus infections occur per
year, though both have much higher fatality rates for people with diabetes or are
immunosuppressed (CDC, Vibrio Vulnificus: General Information, 2009) and (Conference). The
vibrio species V. cholerae, responsible for causing cholera which can kill within hours, has not
been very prevalent in the United States for the last century but is still rampant in third world
countries without good water purification systems (CDC, Cholera: General Information, 2009).A NATURAL SOLUTION 7
Researchers fear the excessive amount of oil, and therefore available food source, could cause a
population explosion for the vibrio genus, increasing the number of foodborne illness and even
cholera (Voosen, 2010). A population boom creating a disproportionate amount of a certain
microbe could mess up the natural food order in the ocean.
Scientists have been experimenting with genetically modified microbes to see if any
would be more effective or safer in bioremediation than vibrio (Patricia F. Dimond, 2010).
Scientists successfully combined the plasmids of four different, oil-eating bacteria into one
microbe and placed it under an ultraviolet light, creating an engineered microbe able to break
down more components in the oil than one bacterium alone. Unfortunately, when laboratory
engineered microbes are placed into a complex environment such as the Gulf of Mexico, they
cannot adapt to survive and perform their intended function against the already present bacteria
(Patricia F. Dimond, 2010). Also, though the new bacterium is perhaps superior to a natural
bacterium, it is not more powerful or more potent than all the bacteria present in the Gulf of
Mexico, unwittingly working together in breaking down the oil’s multiple components (Patricia
F. Dimond, 2010).
Since the genus vibrio lives in the Gulf of Mexico naturally, it has naturally adapted to its
surroundings, which is why further research must be conducted on the vibrio and instead of
laboratory bacteria that are not part of a system created by millions upon millions of years of
evolution. Research may be able to provide an answer for how to decimate the population of
different vibrio species after the oil spill if the population number has increased exponentially.
Though research has so far been fairly unsuccessful in searching for methods to control the
vibrio, an effective technique could clean the oil faster. Research may also indicate other
situations in which the vibrio’s ability (or a similar process) could be utilized, such as breakingA NATURAL SOLUTION 8 down unwanted molecules in water purification plants, disease curers, or as paint and glue removers. Vibrio species alone won’t solve the oil crisis, but combining techniques like pumping the oil onto ships along with nature’s natural processes, the oil will be contained and removed quicker, more effectively, and most probably safer because if one techniques starts to become ineffective or a piece of machinery breaks, many other gadgets and processes will still be helping.
A NATURAL SOLUTION 9 Bibliography Aigner, E., Burgess, J., Carter, S., Nurse, J., Haeyoun, P., Schoenfeld, A., et al. (2010, July 15). Tracking the Oil Spill in the Gulf. Retrieved July 16, 2010, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/01/us/20100501-oil-spill-tracker.html Biello, D. (2010, May 25). Slick Solution: How Microbes Will Clean Up the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from Scientific American : http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-microbes-clean-up-oil-spills Bigg, M. (2010, May 25). INTERVIEW-Scientists to study deepwater Gulf "oil plume" . Retrieved July 16, 2010, from Reuters AlertNet: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N25115351.htm BP. (n.d.). Oil Spills Response. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from BP: http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/australia/corporate_australia/STAGING/local_assets/downl oads_pdfs/a/Aust_kwinana_oil_spills.pdf Brock, T. D., Madigan, M. T., Martinko, J. M., & Parker, J. (2003). Brock Biology of Microorganisms. Up Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson Education. Campbell, R., & Fountain, H. (2010, July 15). BP Says Oil Flow Has Stopped as Cap Is Tested. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/us/16spill.html?hp CDC. (2009, July 17). Cholera: General Information. Retrieved July 14, 2010, from CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/cholera/ CDC. (2009, July 17). Vibrio Parahaemolyticus: General Information. Retrieved July 13, 2010, from CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/vibriop/ CDC. (2009, November 12). Vibrio Vulnificus: General Information. Retrieved July 13, 2010, from CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/vibriov/#common Clark, T. (n.d.). Cholera (Vibrio Cholerae). Retrieved July 16, 2010, from T.J. Clark: http://www.tjclarkinc.com/bacterial_diseases/cholera_vibrio_cholerae.htm Conference, I. S. (n.d.). Vibrio Vulnificus and Diabetes. Retrieved July 12, 2010, from ISSC: http://www.issc.org/client_resources/Education/VVDiabetes.pdf Corum, J., Granberg, A., Grondahl, M., Haeyoun, P., Xaquin, G., & Roberts, G. (2010, July 14). Methods That Have Been Tried to Stop the Leaking Oil. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/25/us/20100525-topkill-diagram.html
A NATURAL SOLUTION 10 Felder, D. L., & Camp, D. K. (2009). Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota: Volume I, Biodiversity. College Station, Texas: TAMU Press. Fountain, H. (2010, July 9). BP Is Ready to Put Tighter Cap on Runaway Well. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/10/us/10spill.html?_r=1&src=twr&scp=3&sq=bp%20oil%20daily%20 amount%20collected&st=cse GRÖNDAHL, M., Haeyoun, P., Roberts, G., & Tse, A. (2010, June 21). Investigating the Cause of the Deepwater Horizon Blowout. Retrieved July 8, 2010, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/06/21/us/20100621-bop.html Haeyoun, P., XAQUÍN, G., Roberts, G., Aigner, E., & Carter, S. (2010, July 14). The Oil Spill's Effect on Wildlife. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/28/us/20100428-spill-map.html Patricia F. Dimond, P. (2010, June 17). Can Microbes Help Stem the BP Oil-Spill Disaster? Retrieved July 15, 2010, from GEN: http://www.genengnews.com/analysis-and-insight/can-microbes-help-stem-the- bp-oil-spill-disaster/77899329/ Voosen, P. (2010, June 17). Will Bacterial Plague Follow Crude Oil Spill Along Gulf Coast? . Retrieved July 16, 2010, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/06/17/17greenwire-will- bacterial-plague-follow-crude-oil-spill-a- 81599.html?pagewanted=1&sq=exxon%20valdez%20vibrio&st=cse&scp=1
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