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Sorbents collect specific liquids or gases depending on the composition of the material being used in the sorbent. Some of the most common sorbents used to clean oil spills are made from materials that are both oleophilic and hydrophobic, have high surface area through structural designs that include pores and capillaries, and draw in liquid through capillary action. [1]
A containment boom is a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill. Booms are used to reduce the possibility of polluting shorelines and other resources, and to help make recovery easier. Booms help to concentrate oil in thicker surface rather than disperse across larger areas. [1]
PRP was created in the 1990s by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and has been used to assist in remediating oil spills such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. [1] [2] PRP is a powder composed of microscopic hollow spheres of wax up to 150 microns in size. [3]
Fuller's earth is a term for various clays used as an absorbent, filter, or bleaching agent. Products labeled fuller's earth typically consist of palygorskite (also known as attapulgite) or bentonite. [1] Primary modern uses include as absorbents for oil, grease, and animal waste (cat litter), and as a carrier for pesticides and fertilizers.
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution.The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land.
They worked toward removing oil and tar from beaches and offshore surrounding areas, creating boarders around the spill to keep the surface oil from spreading, using sorbents to absorb the oil, and burning the oil away. One study estimated that 5 to 6 percent of the oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill was burned into the atmosphere.
Many other absorbents have to be mined, whereas coconut coir pith is a waste product in abundance in countries where coconut is a major agriculture product. In the 2024 Manila Bay oil spill, the DILG Bataan appealed for hay, hair and coconut coir pith (husk) to process into oil booms as absorbent for the Philippine Coast Guard's cleanup operations.
By comparison, Corexit, the oil dispersant used in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, is rated at 54.7% effective against South Louisiana crude oil and three times as lethal to silverfish and more than twice as lethal to shrimp. [5] On May 20, US Polychemical Corporation was reported to have received an order from BP for Dispersit SPC 1000. [6]