Oil spills can adversely affect marine larvae, fish, birds and mammals.
Oil is currently a nonrenewable necessity in everyday life. This fossil fuel is used for a variety of purposes including fuel for transportation and factories, heating, ink, plastics, fertilizers and pesticides. Unfortunately, oil spills sometimes occur within the environment due to accidents, unavoidable events such as weather and earthquakes, or through intentional spills from war, vandals and dumping. Several techniques can be used to clean up oil spills and to prevent further destruction by this hazardous substance.
Containment and Recovery
Containment and recovery is a common technique in which you surround the oil with oil booms and recover the natural resource with skimmers. This technique is heavily used since it is the least destructive means of cleaning up oil spills. Oil boom types vary from inflatable, neoprene tubes to solid, but buoyant material. Skimmers separate the oil from the water by through centripetal force or by wringing out the oil that clings to oil-attracting rope mops. This cleanup technique is only 10 percent to 15 percent efficient under even the best circumstances.
Dispersants
Dispersants can break up the oil and speed its natural biodegradation by reducing the surface tension that stops oil and water from mixing. Small droplets of oil begin to form, and this also increases the oil surface area. This allows the oil to naturally evaporate or receive bacterial action faster. Dispersants are most effective when used within an hour or two of the initial oil spill. This technique relies heavily upon the time elapsed since the spill, weather conditions, the environment involved and the type of oil released.
Bioremediation
Bioremediation uses biological agents that hasten the biodegradation of oil. Most components of oil can be broken down by bacteria and other microorganisms into harmless products like fatty acids and carbon dioxide. This natural process is called biodegradation. Biodegradation activity can be increased with the addition of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous, which increase the growth of microorganisms that break down oil.
Leave it to Nature
It may seem that leaving the oil alone is an unwise decision, but nature can efficiently break down oil by natural means. Oil cleanup can be difficult and may not be efficient sometimes. Nature uses a combination of wave action, wind and photo-oxidation from the sun to help rapidly disperse and evaporate most oils. An oil spill that is in the open ocean with no possibility of polluting coastal regions or marine industries may be left alone to be dispersed by natural means.
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