Toxic Waste: Examples

Examples of Toxic Waste Cleanup

 * Bioremediation was used to help clean up the disastrous effects of the "Exxon Valdez" oil spill in 1989.
 * About 10.9 million gallons of crude oil contaminated the Prince William Sound in Alaska.
 * Fertilizer (nitrogen and phosphorus) was used to speed up the process and within 10 days oil-blackened rocks laying on the shoreline were white and oil-free.
 * This form of bioremediation was a concern because of the high amount of ethanol and would it affect the workers and the ecosystem.
 * Bioremediation is also being currently used to clean the Gulf oil spill.
 * Scientists want to use the same tactics as the Exxon Valdez oil spill and use fertilizers but the only problem is that they have alot more to clean up then just the shoreline.
 * The good thing is that deeper in the Gulf closer to the ocean floor, natural microorganism are able to dipose of the oil naturally.
 * Scientists are still working on a solution. Bioremediation with genetically-engineered microorganisms can not be used because there is simply not enough nitrogen and phosphorus to feed the microorganisms.

Citation
Biello, By David. "Slick Solution: How Microbes Will Clean Up the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Scientific American." Science News, Articles and Information | Scientific American. 25 May 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-microbes-clean-up-oil-spills.

"Can Microbes Help Stem the BP Oil-Spill Disaster?" Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News - Biotech from Bench to Business. 17 June 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. http://www.genengnews.com/analysis-and-insight/can-microbes-help-stem-the-bp-oil-spill-disaster/77899329/.