摘要 |
A process for pre-emptive potential in bioremediation of oil spills comprising the steps of fabricating cells of micro-organisms capable of degrading hydrocarbons, encapsulating the cells into pods dissolvable in a non-hydrocarbon environment such as water, introducing the pods into a body of petroleum contained in a vessel which if unintentionally fractured to release the body of petroleum into the non-hydrocarbon environment will also release the cells, causing the cells to open and allow the micro-organism to degrade the hydrocarbon and consume the oil spill. The process may also include the step of recovering pods which are not released into the non-hydrocarbon environment from the body of petroleum. The invention also includes a product for pre-emptive bioremediation of oil spills which has cells of micro-organisms capable of degrading hydrocarbons encapsuled in pods and which can be introduced into a body of petroleum during transport and storage and which are activated to degrade hydrocarbon and consume petroleum released into a non-hydrocarbon environment, wherein the pods also contain means for removing unactivated micro-organism cells from the body of petroleum. |