Chinese use bacteria to clean up oil spill
Chinese officials are using more than 23 tons of oil-eating bacteria to clean up the spill from the exploded pipelines in the northeast coast of Dalian City, Press TV reported.
It's the first time that China is making use of bio-technology and bio-oil-absorbing products to solve an environmental pollution issue.
Bioremediation, the process first used to mitigate the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, uses microorganisms to break down toxic hydrocarbons of the crude oil into less harmful compounds.
By Monday morning, at least 460 tons of the estimated 1,500 tons of oil have been scooped up thanks to the 24-hour job done by the environmental friendly oil-eating bacteria.
Previously, oil fences were used to stop the 183 square kilometers of spill but officials were concerned that rainfall and heavy winds would worsen the situation.
Twenty four oil-skimming vessels and 800 fishing boats were sent to remove the spill in the Yellow Sea caused by a pipeline explosion and fire near the oil reserve bases at the weekend.
