Modeling oil biodegradation and bioremediation within beaches

Modeling oil biodegradation and remediation has become an increasingly important means to predict oil persistence and explore potential in-situ bioremediation strategies for oil-contaminated beaches. Beaches involve complex mixing dynamics between seawater and groundwater. Thus, numerically predicting oil biodegradation within beach systems faces major challenges in merging highly dynamic biogeochemical conditions into microbial degradation models. In this paper, we reviewed recent advances in modeling oil biodegradation from aspects of oil phases, reaction kinetics, microbial activities, environmental conditions, and beach hydrodynamics. We identified key controlling factors of oil biodegradation, highlighted the importance of fate and transport processes on nearshore oil biodegradation, and suggested some advances needed to achieve for developing a robust numerical model to predict oil biodegradation and bioremediation within beaches.