Sorption–Biological Treatment of Coastal Substrates of the Barents Sea in Low Temperature Using the Rhodococcus erythropolis Strain HO-KS22

The efficiency of the sorption-biological method for treatment of oil-polluted coastal substrates (soil and sand) of the Barents Sea under low temperature (10 °C) using the active hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacterial strain <i>Rhodococcus erythropolis</i> HO-KS22 was assessed in the laboratory. The highest rate of hydrocarbon degradation was in sand polluted with a low-density oil emulsion and in soil polluted with a medium-density oil emulsion. Sorption-biological treatment increased the rate of hydrocarbon degradation in sand by 3-4 times during the first month and enhanced the overall efficiency by 20% over a three-month period. The use of sorbents (granular activated carbon, thermally activated vermiculite and peat) both in sand and soil prevents secondary pollution of coastal ecosystems, since it significantly reduces the hydrocarbons' desorption and their leaching by water. <i>Rhodococcus erythropolis</i> HO-KS22, in combination with sorbents, can be applied during the biological remediation of coastal sandy substrates following the initial removal of emergency oil spills. However, for biological treatment of oil-polluted soils of the Barents Sea coast, further selection of active strains of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria resistant to low pH values and temperatures typical for this region is necessary. The use of microbiological preparations without taking into account the soil and climatic factors of the region may be ineffective, which will increase the cost of remediation of the territory without significantly improving its condition.