Influence of Zeolites On The Degradation of Arabian Light Crude Oil

ABSTRACT The authors have studied the biodegradation of an Arabian Light crude oil in sterile marine water by the CUES229 marine bacteria and the BIOLEN IG30 biologic activator, both in the presence and the absence of zeolites. Two different types of zeolites, a natural one (NZ) and an artificial one (Zestek56), were used to degrade the crude in the first experiment, arising a 20% increment in the degradation in the presence of natural zeolite when compared with a similar sample without zeolites, and a 9% in the artificial zeolite. Next set of experiment were made using reactors filled with 250 g of sea water and 0.02 g of zeolite and injecting CUES 229 bacteria up to 108 cells/ml. Samples were introduced in a shaker at 110 rpm and with regulated temperature at 30-C. Time evolution of the biodegradation was deduced from gas chromatography at the time intervals 1; 7 and 15 days. Later, a similar experiment, but with BIOLEN IG30, was also made. Biodegradation of aliphatic hydrocarbons was observed –after 15 days- until the C14 fractions, using zeolites plus Biolen IG30, and until the C18 fractions, using zeolite plus CUES 229 bacteria.