Скачать или смотреть Argentina and Australia collaboration on environmental biotechnology

Tim Spedding & Patricia Ortúzar
Australia & Argentina


Argentina have actively researched and implemented strategies for remediating anthropogenic environmental impacts in Antarctica for more than 20 years now, in accordance to the Madrid Protocol of 1991. Ongoing bioremediation programs for hydrocarbon contaminated soils proved to be highly efficient, even under the harsh Antarctic climate conditions, achieving up to 76% hydrocarbon removal in only 40 days of treatment. Australia, on the other hand, have also a very robust and long-standing bioremediation program through the AAD’s Environmental Program, with similar successful bioremediation schemes. Both nations have been cooperating and collaborating in the asses of environmental risks at opposite sides of Antarctica – Carlini Station and Casey Station. Implementing effective bioremediation strategies for hydrocarbon fuels vary depending on a range of contaminant and site-specific factors. Fuel chemical composition, and its propension to biodegradation, as well as soils physicochemical and biological features, influence the assessment of risk and the selection of optimum bioremediation strategies. Through examination of field-scale case studies, Argentina and Australia jointly presented that even under different environmental conditions (at opposite sides of Antarctica), fuel types and compositions, microbial responses to treatments, soil types, infrastructure and logistics and analytical techniques, successful bioremediation schemes of hydrocarbon contaminated soils in Antarctica are feasible. These findings directly inform the guide for best practice environmental assessment and remediation in Antarctica, the Antarctic Clean-up Manual developed by the Committee for Environmental Protection to provide scientifically proven guidance that can be applied to the clean-up of a range of impacted sites in Antarctica. Both original signatory nations have been sharing results and collaborating for more than 8 years now in the environmental biotechnology area, with presented joint SCAR Congresses oral presentations and posters, a strong scientific cooperation, and the intention to perform joint summer Antarctic campaigns in the near future, demonstrating the Antarctic-wide benefits of international collaboration through development of effective remediation strategies for Antarctica.