Biosurfactants and environmental improvement in the oil and petrochemical industry and the ecosystem

Biosurfactants are natural biodegradable complex polymers that arc mainly produced by microorganisms through a bacterial fermentation process. Interest in this kind of product is steadily increasing due to the fact that they arc none toxic and arc biodegradable. Many studies have been directed in recent years to develop the possibility of using biosurfactants in various promising industrial fields, such as enhanced oil recovery, hydrocarbon bioremediation, crude oil drilling, lubricants and surfactant-aided bioremediation of water-insoluble pollutants. Both laboratory and filed applications have demonstrated significant potential market for biosurfactants in the oil and petrochemical industry applications directed to the removal/mobilisation of oil sludge from storage tanks, to the oil spill bioremediation/dispersion both inland and at sea, oil contaminated sediment treatment and enhanced oil recovery. In this paper we outline our experience in biosurfactants' use in the oil and petrochemical field including crude oil storage tanks cleaning, sludge reduction in thickeners and decontamination of sites and sediments polluted by crude oil spills or seepage. Future potential use of these compounds for the benefit of reducing oil sediment sludge accumulation and reduction of environmental pollution is also discussed.