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8169349 
Journal Article 
Biodegradation of fuel oil under laboratory and Arctic marine conditions 
Garrett, RM; Haith, CE; Prince, RC 
1999 
5 
3/ 
English 
An international consortium conducted a field trial of bioremediation on an Arctic beach on Spitsbergen using an intermediate fuel oil and soluble fertilizers to stimulate microbial oil degradation. Laboratory degradation studies were separately performed using similar oil and a marine sediment inoculum from Spitsbergen. Oil biodegradation pattern by indigenous microorganisms on the Arctic shoreline was very similar to that shown by microorganisms from temperate Atlantic and Pacific marine environments. n-Alkanes were degraded before iso-alkanes, smaller aromatic molecules were degraded before larger ones, and alkylated PAH were degraded more slowly than the parent compounds. These patterns enabled identification of biodegradation in samples collected from the field, and estimation of the extent of biodegradation occurring in the field trial. Changes in the ratio of phenanthrene to dimethyl- and ethyl-phenanthrenes were valuable indicators of biodegradation extent up to 50% removal of the total GC-detectable hydrocarbon. 
Leeson A.