科学美国人60秒:Feed Microbes Oxygen to Help Clear Spilled Oil

On June 3rd, a train loaded with highly volatile crude oil derailed just outside the small town of Mosier in Oregon’s Columbia River Valley. More than 40,000 gallons of crude spilled out of the train. Some burned away in a 14-hour long fire at the scene. Some got into the wastewater treatment system. And some of the spilled crude oil found its way into the nearby groundwater.
6月3日，一辆装满高度挥发性原油的火车，在刚驶出俄勒冈州哥伦比亚河谷后脱轨。4万加仑的原油从火车倾泻而出。现场燃起了长达四个小时的熊熊大火。一些原油进入污水处理系统。而另外一些燃油则渗漏到附近的地下水。

Crews with Union Pacific Railroad Company and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality are now focused on getting that groundwater clean again. They’re using a technique called “biosparging,” which helps the naturally occurring microorganisms at the site consume the oil. The biosparging relies on pumping additional oxygen underground.
联合太平洋铁路公司以及俄勒冈州环境质量部门的职员现在将注意力转移到地下水的清理。他们利用了一种叫做“生物曝气”的技术，这种技术可以有助于自然微生物消耗石油。“生物曝气”技术依靠的是注入地下的额外的氧气。

“And this additional oxygen will cause the population of microbes to expand very quickly.”
额外的氧气会导致微生物的数量迅速增长。

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality project manager Bob Schwarz.
勒冈州环境质量部门的项目经理鲍勃·施瓦泽说道。

“So the more microbes, the more quickly the oil gets consumed.”
所以呢，微生物越多，石油分解的速度也就越快。

Schwarz says it’s unclear exactly how much oil contaminated the groundwater.
施瓦泽表示，尚不清楚，地下水中还有多少石油。

“We’re measuring it in hundreds of parts per billion, with a ‘b,’ so it’s a very small mass. But the levels are still high enough for us to have to clean it up.”
大约没几十亿个水分子中有一个油分子。所以，数量非常的小，但是，这对于我们来说，需要清理的量也是非常多的。

Schwarz says the groundwater treatment system will likely continue for the next year. Meanwhile, trains will resume carrying oil through the area—a move that, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting, local fire chief Jim Appleton called “insane” at the time of the accident.
施瓦泽表示，地下水处理系统可能会在明年继续。同时，火车还会继续装载石油经过该区域——根据俄勒冈州公共广播，当地的消防队长在火灾发生时表示这举动简直就是疯了。