Oil-eating bacteria may determine environmental impact of Gulf oil

(American Chemical Society) The environmental impact of millions of gallons of oil still in the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon incident may depend on microscopic helpers: Bacteria that consume oil and other hydrocarbons and could break down the spilled crude, making it disappear. That's the topic of an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.