Abstract
Large-scale oil spills have significant impacts on the both natural environment and society. The purpose of this study is to determine the optimum composition of a dispersant for removal of oil and clarify the effects of dispersants on biodegradation of PAH. The optimum composition of the dispersant for sandy beach sediments contaminated by 5 wt. % fuel oil C is 22% Brij 30 as the surfactant and 78% decaline as the solvent. The dispersant at its optimum composition remove greater amounts oil than commercial dispersant. Both dispersants could accelerate biodegradation of PAH in oil. The acceleration of biodegradation of PAHs is more significant for the dispersant with an dispersant at its optimum composition than for commercially available dispersant of the third generation. The acceleration of biodegradation of PAH appear to be due to washout of oil by the dispersant.
