New bio-hybrid materials for bioremoval of crude oil spills from marine waters

We report, for the first time, on the successful use of the new type of bio-hybrid materials (BHM) on the basis of polymeric nonwoven material made from methyl methacrylate-acrylonitrile (MA) which is an efficient oil-absorbent. The biomass and biomass-derived cell-structured support materials of duckweed plants (Wolffia arrhiza, Lemna minuscula) were incorporated into polymeric fibers and association of oil-degrading bacteria was immobilized. The bacteria immobilized on BHM with duckweeds structures (BHM + AD) degraded 93-97% of n-alkanes in artificial sea water after 25 days of incubation and removed the adsorbed oil from the polymer fibers almost completely whereas the oil-degrading efficiency of the bacteria immobilized on the additive-free MA was ca. twice lower. It is suggested that, in oligotrophic sea water, the plant-derived structures might furnish biogenic elements for the immobilized microorganisms increasing their oil degrading activity. The possibilities of the use of the new type of BHM for bioremoval of crude oil spills from marine waters are discussed.