2024 - Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit
SIPS 2024 Volume 2. Anastassakis Intl. Symp / Mineral Processing
| Editors: | F. Kongoli, L. Andric, K. Aravossis, V. Chanturiya, I. Chatjigeorgiou, D. Fuerstenau, C. Kavalopoulos, C. O'Connor, V. Panayotov, J. Rubinstein |
| Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
| Publication Year: | 2024 |
| Pages: | 384 pages |
| ISBN: | 978-1-998384-06-8 (CD) |
| ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
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PERLITE AS A MICROBIAL CARRIER: A BIOREMEDIATION SOLUTION FOR MARINE OIL-SPILLS
Maria-Sotiria Frousiou1; Ioanna Petropoulou1; Dimitrios Papadomarkakis1; Antonis Peppas2;1NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS, Athens, Greece; 2LABORATORY OF METALLURGY, NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS, Athens, Greece;
Type of Paper: Regular
Id Paper: 332
Topic: 5
Abstract:
Over the last five decades, nearly 6 million tonnes of oil have contaminated our oceans solely from tanker spills, according to Ritchie et al., 2022, posing severe environmental and economic risks. Despite the development of various methods to contain oil spills, even advanced technologies have limitations associated with environmental and economic factors. Conventional cleanup methods face limitations, such as smoke production from in situ burning and dependency on calm seas for booms and skimmers. Oil absorption using industrial minerals, like perlite or bentonite, although cost-effective still poses challenges regarding collection and treatment of the remaining product and byproducts. The proposed innovative solution integrates perlite absorption with bioremediation methods, by utilizing an inorganic carrier acting as a “living sponge”, hosting oil-degrading microorganisms. Perlite’s lightweight and buoyant nature, enhanced by bioremediation functionalities, allows it to float on water and facilitate easy deployment, making it reliable for immediate oil spill response, resulting in non-toxic residues, while supporting global sustainability goals by preserving marine ecosystems and promoting economic competitiveness.