With the environmental impacts of our global society’s living becoming increasing difficult to ignore, there has been a corresponding increase in the effort to understand how we can remedy our wrongs. With this effort a number of findings have surfaced. Some of which had previously been researched only to a minimal degree and others that have only come to be known about in recent years. One of these previously lesser-understood factors is a bacteria that has the potential to negate the damage caused by oil spills.
The bacteria, known as Alcanivorax Borkumensis (A. Borkumensis), has been a topic of research papers ranging at least as far back as the late 90’s and yet has only come to light in a larger sense within the last few months. Its naturally occurring presence is not widely known as a factor in the reduction of environmental devastation following the Deepwater Horizon spill of 2010, though this is indeed the case. There is no doubt that the bacteria has gone unnoticed in a number of such events, but new research has brought it back to the surface of conversation in the scientific community.
In a 1998 research paper published in the International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, the bacteria was referenced as one of six similarly useful bacterias isolated from sediment and water samples collected near the Isle of Borkum. The research highlights the fact that deterioration caused by naturally occurring microbes is a relatively slow process. This serves to explain why the focus of current research seems to be geared more toward the possibility of altering the bacteria in order to increase it’s effectiveness in cleaning up oil spills.
The bacteria, which gets some of its energy from hydrocarbons – a component of petroleum and natural gases – is naturally present in the ocean and has been found to have a particular presence where high levels of oil are present. The source of this renewed interest in A. Borkumensis stems from research undertaken by Dr. Tarek Rouissi of Quebec’s INRS University. The university’s press release on the discovery quotes Rouissi, “I had a hunch, and the characterization of the enzymes produced by the bacterium seems to have proven me right!” This, of course, is in reference to the range of degradation that the bacteria is capable of.
One aspect of the knowledge surrounding the bacteria, which may come to light with the increased interest, is that of its interaction with chemicals currently prevalent in the cleanup efforts that follow oil spills. A number of dispersants are used during the cleanup process, but little is known of their effects on naturally occurring bacteria such as A. Borkumensis. In a 2015 research paper, a small number of these dispersants were tested against the bacteria and only one was found to increase the growth of the bacteria, so future research into the effects of these could be hugely beneficial to understanding how natural and chemical could work together beneficially.
As intriguing as the bacteria and it’s related research are, it once again raises a question being asked of most new technologies; Is this a viable solution to a current issue or is it simply a temporary fix for a bigger issue we are unwilling to address? The answer seems clear in that our use of fossil fuels has been known for a long time to cause irreparable environmental damage that could be otherwise avoided. With an increase in more sustainable ways to power our cities, it seems that the oil industry is desperately seeking to avoid redundancy. As it stands, however, there are many occasions of oil spills and hence where A. Borkumensis could serve to help our environmental cause. We can only hope that at some point the research itself will reach a certain level of redundancy only possible with a dwindling use of oil globally.
By Annalisse Crosswell
Please note that opinions expressed are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the views and values of The Blank Page
