Isolation and biotechnological potential of biosurfactant-producing microorganisms from beaches affected by the oil spill in Ventanilla, Lima

This research project aims to deliver sustainable biotechnological solutions to one of Peru’s most significant environmental disasters in 2022. During the spill, approximately 11,900 barrels of crude oil contaminated more than 18,000 m² of coastal area, severely impacting marine ecosystems, fisheries, tourism, and the health of nearby communities. The study proposes to isolate and characterize native microorganisms capable of producing biosurfactants with emulsifying activity, surface-tension reduction, and stability under extreme conditions. Unlike synthetic surfactants, these compounds are biodegradable, less toxic, and highly effective for hydrocarbon remediation. The project envisages laboratory bioremediation assays (e.g., washing oil-contaminated sands, crude oil and diesel degradation), alongside metagenomic analyses to describe microbial diversity and metabolic potential in impacted and control beaches. This initiative seeks to strengthen strategies for restoring coastal environments, recovering local economic activities, and generating applied knowledge in environmental biotechnology. The results will also have applications in industrial sectors such as mining, agribusiness, petroleum, food, and cosmetics, expanding the scope for technology transfer and scaling. The methodology integrates fieldwork, microbiological and molecular techniques, and data analysis via bioinformatics and advanced statistics. It is both a basic and applied research project, aiming to understand microbial ecology while developing bioremediation technologies tailored to the Peruvian context. Finally, the proposal will build academic capacity, position the institution within emerging research lines, and enable the establishment of replicable protocols to address future oil spills in the country and the region.

In January 2022, a major oil spill occurred in the Ventanilla district, Callao, when approximately 11,900 barrels of crude were released into the sea during offloading operations of the tanker Mare Doricum at the Multi-Buoy Terminal of the La Pampilla Refinery. The incident—triggered by the rupture of a subsea pipeline—was attributable to factors such as poor management of the prevention system, inadequate early warning, and an ineffective emergency response (1). The spill affected local biodiversity and the economies of communities dependent on fisheries and tourism, causing severe damage to marine species and contaminating multiple coastal ecosystems, including protected areas such as the Guano Islands, Islets, and Capes National Reserve System (2). Although authorities and the responsible company, REPSOL, stated that cleanup operations commenced after the disaster, insufficient resources and a delayed intervention aggravated the situation. The response was criticized for relying on rudimentary methods (e.g., manual cleanup) and failing to deploy advanced technological equipment that could have enabled more efficient remediation (3). Public health impacts were also notable, as contact with contaminated water increased the risk of gastrointestinal and dermal diseases among affected populations, underscoring the importance of proper emergency management to protect local communities (4). Socially and economically, more than 10,000 families reliant on fisheries and tourism were affected, with multimillion-dollar losses—particularly in the fishing sector—and a marked drop in seafood demand due to concerns over product safety (2). Despite institutional efforts to restore the area, the response highlighted the urgent need to review and strengthen environmental emergency protocols and regulatory oversight in Peru (3). This incident underscores the urgency of improving preparedness, tightening regulations, and ensuring that companies and authorities maintain robust contingency plans to prevent and mitigate similar disasters in the future.

Synthetic surfactants, commonly used to control oily contaminants, face limitations related to toxicity, low biodegradability, and environmental accumulation (5,6). In contrast, microbial biosurfactants have emerged as viable alternatives due to their biodegradable nature, low toxicity, effectiveness under extreme conditions, and ability to emulsify and solubilize hydrocarbons (7,8). Multiple studies have shown that bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Stutzerimonas stutzeri produce rhamnolipids and other biosurfactants with high efficiency in degrading crude oil and heavy metals, achieving removals exceeding 80% in contaminated environments (9,10). Recent reviews also emphasize that new microbial sources and optimized culture conditions can increase the productivity and stability of these compounds, broadening their potential for environmental and industrial applications (8,9). In our context, there remains a knowledge gap regarding the isolation and characterization of native microorganisms capable of producing biosurfactants from beaches impacted by the Ventanilla spill, limiting the development of locally adapted biotechnologies tailored to the country’s coastal ecosystem.