Medical aspects and sanitary and hygienic assessment of bacterial preparations used to combat oil pollution of water bodies

The widespread use of oil biodegraders in water bodies without clear hygienic regulations poses a hidden epidemiological threat: most of the strains used are opportunistic microorganisms capable of causing severe nosocomial and somatic diseases in humans.

1. The Problem of Oil Pollution and Limitations of Traditional Methods

Oil and petroleum products are the most common and hazardous pollutants of the aquatic environment. In Ukraine, due to the deterioration of pipelines and unauthorized taps, the geography of pollution covers not only port waters but also hundreds of small rivers and inland water bodies.

Mechanical Collection

Tools: oil skimmers, skimmers, vacuum machines.
Limitations: Effective in ports but powerless against residual films, in marshes, swamps, and under-pier areas.

Sorption Methods

Tools: organic, mineral, and polymer sorbents.
Limitations: Break the film and absorb oil, but require complex collection and disposal, which is often impractical.

2. Analysis of the Microbiological Composition of Bioproducts

The introduction of oil-oxidizing microorganisms is considered the most environmentally friendly method of cleaning. However, Ukraine lacks a unified sanitary-hygienic regulation for assessing biodegraders, and most products (except “Destroil”) are used without restrictions on water use categories.

Critical Composition Shortcomings

The inclusion of unidentified microorganisms to the species level in bioproducts (e.g., Bacillus sp. in “Simbinal”) is unacceptable, as this genus encompasses a wide range of bacteria—from the pathogenic B. anthracis (causative agent of anthrax) to the saprophytic B. macerans.

3. Medical and Epidemiological Hazards of Biodegraders

When bioproducts are introduced, the initial concentration of microorganisms in working solutions reaches 10⁵ – 10⁷ cells/mL. For comparison, etiologically significant quantities of opportunistic bacteria in water are 10⁵ – 10⁶ cells/L (a difference of 1000 times). Subsequent microbiological monitoring of water systems is not conducted.

Clinical Risks of Key Cultures:

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Polyresistant to antibiotics and disinfectants (including chlorine). Causes otitis, sinusitis, sepsis, folliculitis. Responsible for 14.5–75.2% of nosocomial infections. Hazardous for swimmers and children even in chlorinated pools.
• Acinetobacter sp.: Causes infections of the nasopharynx, skin, lungs, urogenital tract, sepsis. Increasing proportion of polyresistant strains.
• Candida spp.: Fungal infections (candidiasis), complicating bacterial and viral infections.
• Aspergillus spp.: Cause mold mycoses, skin lesions, ear canal, and mucous membrane infections.
• Nocardia sp. & Citrobacter sp.: Cause purulent processes, brain abscesses, chronic soft tissue lesions, and urinary infections.

Necessary Regulatory Steps

1. Application Restriction: Prohibit the use of products with opportunistic microflora in water bodies of categories I and II.
2. Strict Selection: New bioproducts must be composed exclusively of non-pathogenic strains.
3. Comprehensive Toxicological Assessment: Introduce mandatory testing of strains and their consortia for the absence of toxicity, pathogenicity (virulence, toxigenicity), phytopathogenicity, and genotoxicity.
4. Standardization: Develop and approve a unified State sanitary-hygienic regulation for the assessment of microorganism biodegraders.