Suni Sonja, Koskinen Kaisa, Kauppi Sari, Hannula Emilia, Ryynänen Tuukka, Aalto Annika, Jäänheimo Jenni, Ikävalko Johanna, Romantschuk Martin
Department of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Ambio. 2007 Apr;36(2-3):173-9. doi: 10.1579/0044-7447(2007)36[173:rbsais]2.0.co;2.
This study examined the efficiency of cotton grass fibers in removing diesel oil from the surface of water in conditions prevailing in the Baltic Sea. The effect of low temperature, salinity, and bacterial amendments were tested in laboratory-scale set-ups, whereas 600-L mesocosms filled with Baltic Sea water were used for testing the effects of diesel oil and rapid removal of the oil on microorganisms, phytoplankton, and mussels. Cotton grass proved to be an excellent sorbent for diesel oil from the water surface at a low temperature. Inoculation with diesel-enriched microorganisms enhanced degradation of oil significantly in laboratory-scale experiments. In mesocosm experiments, the addition of diesel oil (0.66 mg L(-1), 0.533 L m(-2)) to the basins resulted in higher microbial density than in all other basins, including inoculated ones, suggesting that the Baltic Sea contains indigenous hydrocarbon degraders. The removal of oil with cotton grass significantly improved the survival of mussels in the mesocosm tests: 100% mortality in diesel basins versus 0% mortality in basins with cotton grass, respectively. However, the surviving mussels suffered from histopathological changes such as inflammatory responses, degenerations, and cell death. The observed rescuing effect was observable even when the cotton grass-bound oil was left in the water. The results underline the importance of rapid action in limiting damage caused by oil spills.
本研究考察了在波罗的海的实际条件下，棉花草纤维从水面去除柴油的效率。在实验室规模的装置中测试了低温、盐度和添加细菌的影响，而用600升装有波罗的海海水的中型生态系统来测试柴油以及油的快速去除对微生物、浮游植物和贻贝的影响。棉花草被证明是低温下从水面去除柴油的优良吸附剂。在实验室规模的实验中，接种富含柴油的微生物显著增强了油的降解。在中型生态系统实验中，向水池中添加柴油（0.66毫克/升，0.533升/平方米）导致微生物密度高于所有其他水池，包括接种了微生物的水池，这表明波罗的海含有本地的烃降解菌。在中型生态系统试验中，用棉花草去除油显著提高了贻贝的存活率：柴油水池中的死亡率为100%，而有棉花草的水池中的死亡率为0%。然而，存活下来的贻贝出现了组织病理学变化，如炎症反应、退化和细胞死亡。即使棉花草吸附的油留在水中，也能观察到上述拯救效果。这些结果强调了在限制石油泄漏造成的损害方面迅速行动的重要性。
