Oil bio-degradation in permeable pavements by microbial communities

Abstract

This paper reports on continuing research at Coventry University into the improvement of highway water quality following flow through a permeable pavement. Such pavements have been shown elsewhere to be efficient in-situ bio-reactors, capable of degrading large quantities of clean motor oil. Further laboratory research, reported here, demonstrates that a commercially obtained oil degrading, microbial mixture was not significantly better at degrading clean motor oil than the indigenous microbial biomass established within the pavement over a 4-year period, when provided with an adequate nutrient supply. Scanning electron microscopy has been used to monitor biofilm development, which has also identified that the pavement has developed a complex community structure with high bio-diversity.