Biodegradation and volatilization of Saudi Arabian crude oil

Aerobic degradation of Saudi Arabian crude oil was conducted under various conditions representative of a coastal marine environment. Both bench-scale and laboratory-scale aerobic reactors were utilized to study the changes of intertidal soil contaminated with crude oil. Weathering experiments of the crude oil were conducted to gain insight into the degree of volatilization losses, and to quantify abiotic losses from biodegradation losses of the crude oil.; The bench-scale aerobic column studies indicated that Gulf of Mexico conditions were nutrient-limited during short term studies, and the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) content of the soil was reduced sixty to seventy percent in five weeks with supplemental nutrients.; Aerobic laboratory-scale batch shaker flask studies were utilized for long-duration (seventy-eight week) experiments. Gravimetric loss of hydrocarbons ranged from eighty to eighty-nine percent under various conditions. Based on weathering tests, approximately twenty percent of this loss was attributed to volatilization. Supplemental nutrient additions did not increase the ultimate gravimetric loss of crude oil in the long-duration experiments. Significant degradation of the asphaltene fraction of the crude oil was observed in the long-duration studies.