OIL-EATING MICROBE! Could it be the answer?, page 1


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reply posted on 30-5-2010 @ 02:45 PM by NWOWILLFALL
reply to post by tru_blu_dude

Yeah, that's exactly what we need...The government to make another genetically modified virus/disease and sick it on the population...





reply posted on 30-5-2010 @ 02:47 PM by apacheman
reply to post by tru_blu_dude



Unfortunately, it is only "eco-friendly" if you don't consider the fact that these microbes are aerobic, i.e., they use oxygen to metabolize the oil, resulting in oxygen-depleted waters that suffocate fish and other ocean life.

Using them in a big way will trade one problem for another: oil may be gone, but the process leaves a dead zone due to anoxia.

The only way to make it work is to use a lot of aerators deep in the waters.


reply posted on 30-5-2010 @ 02:50 PM by tru_blu_dude
reply to post by apacheman



These microbes are eaten by aquatic life. Do your homework before you reply and disregard this method. It might be worth looking into! I might not be an expert, but I've done some reading on this, and there are companies who sell this type of microbe for that purpose! web.me.com... It seems to be the real deal!

[edit on 30-5-2010 by tru_blu_dude]


reply posted on 30-5-2010 @ 02:53 PM by tru_blu_dude
reply to post by tracer7



There aren't any side effects or damage. The microbes are eaten by shrimp and probably other sea life. Otherwise they die off, because they don't have anything to eat themselves.

Did anyone actually watch the video? They've had great success with this method on marshes, ponds, and massive oil spills.


reply posted on 30-5-2010 @ 03:03 PM by Agent_USA_Supporter
reply to post by tru_blu_dude



But in the end of the video the guy stated, all current marine life that were on life died, only plants survived.


reply posted on 30-5-2010 @ 03:04 PM by NWOWILLFALL
reply to post by Doc Holiday

Yeah well if it harms sea life then it wasn't worth it...
.


Nevermind they don't....lol



[edit on 30-5-2010 by NWOWILLFALL]


reply posted on 30-5-2010 @ 03:12 PM by apacheman
reply to post by tru_blu_dude



Doesn't matter if the microbes are eaten by other things: the fact is they deplete the oxygen in the water in the process of eating the oil.

In the waters near the plumes, researchers aboard the RV Pelican reported the oxygen levels being depleted by 30% some two weeks ago, more likely due to the microbes eating the oil. The deeper the water the harder it is to re-oxygenate. There is a huge dead zone of anoxic water already in this area due to fertilizer runoff from the Mississippi.

Using deep-sea aerators as I previously suggested would both speed the process and keep the fish alive.


reply posted on 30-5-2010 @ 03:30 PM by fixer1967
This reminds me of a book I read once.
www.curledup.com...
It could be just the thing unless it goes wrong and it seems most things do.


reply posted on 30-5-2010 @ 03:42 PM by tracer7
reply to post by tru_blu_dude



you say there are no side effects. but any increase in any part of the food chain creates an imbalance, not to mention what apacheman says about depletion of oxygen. artificially dumping micro organisms into an environment, at the amount that would be needed to clean the oil spill could have major side effects.


reply posted on 30-5-2010 @ 03:42 PM by argentus
I don't know if the hydrocarbon-eating microbes have changed markedly in the 20+ years since I dealth with these things. I will tell you what I know as applied to back then. [insert wavy lines] back....... back......

These microbes require[d] somewhat precise environmental conditions to survive, let alone to do their job. For instance, when I was managing contaiminated soil cleanup, we had to run plastic pipe through piles of hydrocarbon-soaked soil, and maintain a fair amount of heat within the piles. We'd often cover the piles with black plastic, and they had to be aerated -- turned over -- fairly frequently to keep the air/oxygen content high.

Here in the tropics, the heat is plenty to cause ambient microbes to eat hydrocarbons. I've found that if I have a plastic fuel container and it is completely filled, all the way to the brim, no air, then it will keep for a very long time, even without fuel stabilizer. That reinforces to me the need for air/oxygen as part of the process for the microbes to work.

I think it's possible that microbes might survive for a period on top of an oil patch/slick, but I don't think conditions would be met well for them to reproduce and consume the slick. I further think that BP has shot the whole area in the foot several times over by applying underwater and the tthousands of gallons of dispersants above water. I believe that is producing a 'mousse" of oil/water that is very thick, often submerges, and absolutely resists mitigation. I think BP did so to reduce the perception of oil, rather than cleaning it up. Likewise, the resultant goo from the dispersants now probably resists skimmers also, as those machines work on surface oil.

I don't think microbes are the answer. I think it's possible that they might work to some degree in slow or stagnant water with floating oil, but one thing is certain......... they surely can't hurt anything, as long as somebody doesn't invent a Monsanto-like franken-microbe.
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