Nanoparticles for the amelioration of oil toxicity and stimulation of bacterial oil degradation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11814308-B2
Application number	US-201716466853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2017
Priority date	Dec 6, 2016
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

Methods are provided for using a combination of nanomaterials and oil-degrading bacteria to detoxify a multiphasic liquid (e.g., an oil-water mixture) and to ameliorate the toxicity of oil to local organisms, e.g., meiobenthos, in or near the area of the multiphasic liquid. The methods can be utilized for oil recovery and environmental clean-up and detoxification after spills and discharges. Through synergistic combination of the nanomaterials with oil degrading bacteria, methods can ameliorate environmental damage due to the presence of oil in an area through increased activation of the bacteria as well as through removal of the oil.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for detoxifying a multiphasic liquid, the method comprising:
removing a sample of a multiphasic liquid comprising oil and water from a source of the multiphasic liquid;
adding a plurality of nanomaterials to the sample of the multiphasic liquid such that the nanomaterials are at a concentration of from 2.5 ppm to 100 ppm in the sample, each of the plurality of nanomaterials comprising a magnetic core and a polymeric shell, the polymeric shell including a polyvinylpyrrolidone-based polymeric material that completely covers the core of each of the nanomaterials and forms an external surface on each of the nanomaterials, each of the plurality of nanomaterials having an average size of from 1 to 100 nm as determined by atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering;
adding a cell suspension comprising an oil degrading bacteria to the sample together with the adding of the plurality of nanomaterials; and
maintaining a mixture comprising the sample of the multiphasic liquid, the plurality of nanomaterials, and the oil degrading bacteria for a period of time of four days or less, during which oil of the multiphasic liquid sample is adsorbed by the nanomaterials and is degraded by the oil degrading bacteria;
wherein within 24 hours following addition of the plurality of the nanomaterials and the oil degrading bacteria to the sample of the multiphasic liquid, all of the oil of the sample is adsorbed by the nanomaterials and degraded by the bacteria.

2. The method of claim 1 , the oil-degrading bacteria comprising one or more of Rhodococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Alcanivorax borkumensis, Agmenellum spp., Bacillus spp., Mycobacterium spp., Marinobacter spp., Halomonas spp. and V. gazogenes.

3. The method of claim 2 , the oil-degrading bacteria comprising one or more of M. alkalophilus, M. arcticus, M. hydrocarbonoclasticus, M. maritimus , and M. squalenivorans.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oil-degrading bacteria are added to the multiphasic liquid sample at a cell density of 1×10 6 cells/mL.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanomaterials comprise iron.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water of the multiphasic liquid comprises sea water.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oil of the multiphasic liquid comprises a crude oil.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample of the multiphasic liquid is obtained from an oil spill.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture comprises at least a portion of the nanomaterials being submerged within the multiphasic fluid.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanomaterials remain dispersed within the multiphasic liquid sample over the period of time.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oil of the multiphasic liquid sample comprises C9-C26 chain alkanes, wherein about 70% of the C9-C22 chain alkanes and about 65% of the C23-C26 chain alkanes are adsorbed by the nanomaterials by the end of a first hour of maintaining the mixture.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polyvinylpyrrolidone of the polyvinylpyrrolidone-based polymeric material has a number average molecular weight of from about 10 kDa to about 200 kDa.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample further comprises one or more marine organisms.

14. The method of claim 13 , the one or more marine organisms comprising a meiobenthic organism.

15. The method of claim 14 , the meiobenthic organism comprising a copepod.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein following the period of time, the one or more marine organisms exhibit less than 50% mortality.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein following the period of time, the one or more marine organisms exhibit less than 20% mortality.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanomaterials are added to the sample such that the nanomaterials are at a concentration of from 2.5 ppm to 40 ppm in the sample.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the only nanomaterials added to the multiphasic liquid sample are the plurality of nanomaterials.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the period of time is 72 hours or less.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the period of time is 48 hours or less.

22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, following the period of time, separating the plurality of nanomaterials from the sample.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of nanomaterials are separated from the sample by use of magnetic separation.

24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising recovering the oil adsorbed by the nanomaterials.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein 65-75% of the oil of the sample is adsorbed by the nanomaterials and degraded by the bacteria within 1 hour following addition of the plurality of the nanomaterials and the oil degrading bacteria to the sample of the multiphasic liquid.

Assignees

• Univ South Carolina

Inventors

• Lead Jamie
• Decho Alan

Classifications

• C02F3/344 Primary

  for digestion of mineral oil · CPC title

• C02F1/288

  using composite sorbents, e.g. coated, impregnated, multi-layered · CPC title

• C02F1/281

  using inorganic sorbents · CPC title

• C02F1/285

  using synthetic organic sorbents · CPC title

• C02F2101/32

  Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil · CPC title