Oil Spill Blog

Granite being durable and long lasting has become a popular flooring option in many houses. Even though granite flooring is scratch and heat resistant, it requires proper maintenance to keep it looking as shiny as it was at the time of purchase.

No matter how careful you are, spills on your granite flooring are unavoidable. Here are some useful tips to handle different spills on your granite floor:

• Can you even imagine a mark on your new elegant granite floor? Definitely not! Laying down a protective mat on your granite flooring that is exposed to sand or any gritty soils may considerably reduce the chances of getting a mark. Also, instead of using hard brooms and vacuums to remove the gritty soil, try mopping the floor with clean water.

• Food spills on the granite countertops in the kitchen are quite a normal scenario in every household. Cleaning can be as simple as just removing the remaining food with the help of a spoon, drying up the spilt area with a white cloth, spraying with a stone cleanser, and wiping it dry.

• One more spill that is very common in the kitchen is oil spill. Cooking oil and butter mainly contribute to this problem. Oil spill clean up on countertops is a daunting task. The spills can turn into oil stains if they are not cleaned immediately with appropriate cleaning materials. Cleaning up a granite oil stain is easier than before with Oil Gone Easy S-200. This product works as a bioremediation accelerator and agglomerator. It bonds to the oil and breaks it down into water and carbon dioxide, thus cleaning the oil stains completely.

Preventing oil spills and oil stains on the granite floor is a good option, but it is not possible all the time. So, be prepared to tackle it with Oil Gone Easy S-200.

Popularity: 7% [?]

It is a known fact that the world’s oceans cover more than 70% of our planet’s surface. But what very few of us realize is that these precious resources are under catastrophic threat from several sources, including industrial, agricultural, and human activities. In view of showing appreciation to this precious resource of ours, for the first time in 1992, the Canadian government came up with the idea of World Oceans Day at the Earth Summit in Rio.

Since 1992, many countries across the globe have joined hands to celebrate the World Oceans Day on June 8th every year. The theme of this day “Our Oceans, Our Responsibility” is in itself an eye-opener of sorts. It is a call to all of us to do our bit for protecting the oceans.

You too can take part in World Oceans Day and contribute to the noble mission of protecting the oceans. Just keep in mind some of these tips and you for sure would have made a great difference!

• Equip your boats with proper bilge discharge options and avoid dumping oily bilge water into the sea.

• Be very careful while changing and refueling oil in your boat and prevent any accidental oil spills.

• For bilge cleaning and accidental oil spill cleanup use of eco-friendly cleaners, such as Oil Gone Marine S-200 would be the best bet. S-200 can be the safest method you can think of, for it uses bioremediation technology to break down the oil and convert it into carbon dioxide and water.

• Even in your garage or anywhere in your home, avoid the use of toxic chemicals and detergents to remove oil spills or leaks from. Instead, consider using green products, such as Oil Gone Easy Home & Driveway S-200.

• Minimize the use of pesticides and fertilizers in your garden and ensure proper disposal of construction residual thereby reduce pollution from storm water runoff.

Popularity: 16% [?]

It is quite a common sight to see the coastal waters being used for recreational boating and marinas. But unknown to many is the fact that these activities pose a catastrophic threat to the coastal waters.

Marinas, the places where the boats are maintained and operated, undoubtedly presents several possibilities of polluting the marine waters. Oil spills or oil leaks from boats, bottom paints, hull cleaners, sewage discharge, anti-freeze, and other similar effluents resulting from operation and maintenance activities are some of the common causes.

Though the amount of pollutants contributed by individual boats might seem negligible, it becomes considerable when the pollution caused by thousands of boaters and marinas are put together. Only when effective methods of managing this nonpoint source pollution are adopted, we can pave way for a safe environment.

To begin with, boaters should ensure that there is no discharge of sewage into recreational waters. While on boat, the use of U.S. Coast Guard-approved marine sanitation device (MSD) to contain the fecal matter and solid waste might help. By doing so, they minimize or ultimately eliminate the chances of degradation of water quality.

It is obligatory that the marinas are sited in areas where natural flushing encourages water circulation. As used motor oil that is contaminated with pollutants is not recyclable, it is better that marinas provide ecologically safe disposal sites.

Engine oil spills during boat maintenance or oil spills from overfilled tanks no matter how minor they are cannot be neglected. They definitely call for immediate remediation. To clean up such oil spills and prevent them from causing any further harm make use of a greener and safer method, such as Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 which is an agglomerator and bioremediation accelerator. This product can also be used as a bilge cleaning product.

Popularity: 11% [?]

The negative impact that dirty bilge water has on the marine environment is dreadful. With the help of efficient bilge management techniques, we can prevent oily bilge water from entering into the sea and contaminating the water, which in turn prevent the harm caused to the marine life.

Dumping oily bilge water into the sea is against the law, since it poses threat to the marine life. Recently the chief engineer of a cargo ship had been fined up to 250,000 million dollars for having dumped oil contaminated waste in area waters.

To minimize the destructive effect of oily bilge water, proper bilge water handling becomes mandatory. Discharge of bilge water from the marinas is a common practice. It is illegal unless the marinas hold a NPDES Individual Permit for Industrial Discharges.

As a part of legal bilge water handling practices, it is the responsibility of every citizen to ensure that boat owners at their marinas are provided with proper bilge water discharge options, such as oil absorbent pads which absorb oil from the bilge water. Oil absorbent pads require to be replaced quite often and also need to safely disposed.

In case of larger boats, oil spill booms will come in handy. Use of a vacuum system pump can help in efficient removal of bilge water by pumping it into drums for later disposal. These drums should be carefully stored, until they are picked up for off-site treatment.

With bilge oil filters, bilge water can be cleaned even before it is being discharged. Treating bilge water onsite with a portable oil/water separator is advisable. Another effective method of bilge water handling is using Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200. This bilge cleaner removes oil from bilge water through bioremediation. MEPC defines bio-remediation as the environmentally friendly response to an oil spill. The simple and effective way of bilge water handling is to pour this bilge cleaner into the access points of your bilge to prevent oil contamination in water.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Green cleaning is a term that refers to cleaning techniques and products that make use of eco-friendly materials and substances rather than toxic ingredients. Certain products emit volatile organic compounds, which can cause irreparable damage, respiratory problems, and skin infections. Green cleaning techniques are a much safer and healthier way to treat water, purify air, and clean a home or land.

Sunrays are natural disinfectants. Ultraviolet radiation emitted from the sun can be used to disinfect water and air. UV radiation is commonly used in waste water treatment and is increasingly being used in drinking water treatment. In fact, there are several manufactures that offer water purifiers that use UV light. This cleaning technique is more eco-friendly than treating water with chemicals. Almost all the pollutants in the air are carbon-based compounds. These compounds break down when exposed to high-intensity UV light at 240-280 nm.

Hospitals have used UV technology for years to sterilize the air in their facilities. Halo vacuum cleaners also use this green cleaning technology to kill germs, bacteria, mold, dust mite eggs, and flea eggs that fester deep in carpet fibers. Halo vacuum cleaners suck up dirt as well as any other vacuum, but unlike other models, they kill microorganisms like E.coli and Samonella. Rather than use toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment and humans to sterilize surfaces, a Halo vacuum cleaner is a great alternative.

Electrokinetic remediation is a green technology used to clean land, especially to restore contaminated waste sites. The section of soil that has been contaminated is exposed to a low voltage direct-current electric field. When the electrodes are charged, ions and water move toward the electrodes. The ions flow through the outer casing of the electrode, which contains water, where they are then removed for treatment. Bioreactors and bioventing technology are two forms of bioremediation that are used to remediate soil that has been contaminated by fuel.

Oil Gone Easy S-200 also uses bioremediation to help fight oil spill pollution both on land and in water. This eco-friendly product is more readily available than bioreactors or bioventing technology and is ideal for home and boat owners.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Freshwater bodies are not just the main source of drinking water, they also serve as nesting grounds and food sources for various organisms. Oil spills could pose a serious threat to freshwater ecosystems as the fresh water organisms are exposed to high risk.

Fresh water ecosystem includes two habitats, standing water, and the flowing water. Oil spills affect standing water more severely than flowing water as the currents offer a natural cleaning mechanism.

When an oil spill occurs, not only are the aquatic creatures smothered to death, the aquatic vegetation is also susceptible to deadly effects of oil spills. Oil spilled into the rivers clings to plants and grasses. Animals that feed on these plants are also affected, causing a serious damage to the food chain.

In addition, birds and mammals either get killed or injured soon after they come into contact or will be slowly poisoned by long-term exposure to oil that is trapped in shallow water bodies or stream beds. Thus oil spills have a catastrophic effect on the local ecology.

The Freshwater Spills Information Clearinghouse (FSIC) serves as a point of entry for freshwater oil spill planning and response information. It includes research data and document abstracts, geographic information system data relevant and organizational links.

The effectiveness of Freshwater Spills Information Clearinghouse depends on how much the research community posts historic and current information electronically. But there has been a lack of information specifically related to oil spills on freshwater bodies. This has been highlighted in meetings such as the Freshwater Spills Symposium and also by groups such as the Great Lakes Spill Protection Initiative (GLPSI).

FSIC also posts available environmental, economic, and cultural sensitivity data electronically and will work along with the Great Lakes Information Network’s (GLIN’s) geographic information system (GIS). Organizations that play a major role are also linked. Increased awareness and higher profile for FSIC will bring in more of these groups into the network.

Popularity: 3% [?]

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency responsible for investigating civil transportation accidents. It investigates all types of accidents, including ship and marine accidents and pipeline incidents. The NTSB will also render assistance to the military with accident investigation if requested by it.

One of the world’s premiere accident investigation agencies, the NTSB has investigated more than 124,000 aviation accidents and over 10,000 surface transportation accidents ever since its inception on April 1, 1967.

The organization has different sub-offices for highway safety, maritime safety, and aviation safety, railroad, pipeline, and hazardous material investigations, research and engineering, recommendations and communications, academy and administrative law judges.

The NTSB is responsible for maintaining the database of civil aviation accidents and conducting studies of transportation safety issues of national significance. It also provides investigators to serve as U.S. Accredited Representatives for accidents overseas involving American-registered aircrafts.

When an accident occurs, the party involved must notify the NTSB, as stipulated in the Code of Federal Regulations. The agency sets the investigation into motion by setting up a “go team.” Specialists in fields relevant to the accident usually make up this team. Once this is done, other organizations or corporations are designated as parties to the investigation. The NTSB may then hold public hearings on the issue. After completing the investigation, it issues a final statement. The board may also issue safety recommendations, if need be.

Its reputation for impartiality and thoroughness has helped it improve safety measures. Several safety features integrated in automobiles, pipelines, and marine vessels have their origin in NTSB recommendations.

The NTSB has also investigated several oil spills, including the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Oil spills on both water as well as land are a serious threat to the environment as they cause terrible damage to the encompassing ecosystem. Oil Gone Easy’s Marine S-200 can be used for oil spill cleanup effectively without causing any further damage to the environment.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Any major oil spill causes great environmental damage. The oil spill that took place on the San Francisco Bay in 2007 resulted in spillage of 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel from the container ship Cosco Busan.

But what makes the San Francisco Oil Spill unusual, is the oil spill cleanup technique that was adopted. A group of volunteers cleaned San Francisco’s beaches using unconventional products, namely human hair and mushrooms.Though unconventional, it is an organic and eco-friendly way of cleaning up oil spills.

Hair is a natural absorbent that soaks oil very well. In the San Francisco Oil Spill, masses of matted hair the size of a doormat were used to soak up oil. (These mats are woven from human hair donated by salons.) After the visible effect in the San Francisco oil spill, others have also started using these for cleaning up oil spills.

You must be wondering where mushrooms come into the picture in this whole process. Oyster mushrooms have the power to convert toxic oil to compost. In the San Francisco oil spill, once the hair mats had soaked up the oil, oyster mushrooms were layered between these mats. In about 12 weeks, these mushrooms not only absorbed but turned these oil-soaked mats into non-toxic compost.

The success of using hair and mushrooms in the San Francisco oil spill cleanup calls for more such innovative, cost-effective, and eco-friendly techniques of cleaning oil spills. One such eco-friendly technique that has proved to be effective in oil spill cleanup is bioremediation technology.

Oil Gone Easy S-200 is an oil stain remover that makes use of bioremediation technology. Instead of toxic chemicals, microorganisms present in the atmosphere are used to degrade the harmful hydrocarbons present in the oil. Thus, this eco-friendly product cleans oil stains without causing any harm to the environment.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Causes of oil pollution are many. They can range from minor spills from recreational boats to serious oil spills from commercial vessels. Whatever the cause, it leads to serious marine pollution.

Large oil spills come to notice very quickly. Marine pollution authorities therefore respond quickly to clean them up. But minor oil spills that result from pumping oily bilge water overboard or from careless refueling go unnoticed even though they are a major cause of marine pollution, which harms the marine environment.

Several steps have been taken to prevent marine pollution, including laws such as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. According to these acts, the discharge of any kind of oil in the navigable water of the United States that causes a film, sheen, discoloration, sludge, or emulsion on or beneath the surface of water is strictly prohibited and can result in stiff civic penalties.

To avoid these penalties and to prevent further oil pollution here are some preventive measures that will help in keeping the discharged bilge water clean.

• The engine of the boat should be maintained properly to avoid fuel or oil leaks. Oil filters should also be changed often.

• Floating oil, if any, should be soaked up with a sorbent material before pumping the bilge. An absorbent pad or a drip tray should also be kept under the engine.

• During bilge cleaning do not mix detergents with oily bilge water as they can prove even more toxic than the oil. Instead, use a biodegradable bilge cleaner like Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200. This bilge cleaner is environmentally friendly and will not cause marine pollution.

Following these simple preventive measures will not only result in clean bilges but will also result in a green earth.

Popularity: 4% [?]

What is environmental remediation

Environmental remediation is the process of environmental cleanup that restores a polluted or contaminated site to a state that is not harmful for human beings and other living organisms. In most cases, it involves media such as soil, groundwater, sediment, or surface water. Before deciding on the technology, a complete environmental assessment of the contaminated site has to be done to decide the approach towards the restoration.

Remediation technologies

Remediation solutions that are adopted for an environmental cleanup can be broadly categorized into ex-situ and in-situ methods. While the affected soils are excavated and the surface then treated using ex-situ methods, the contamination is treated without removing the soils by means of in-situ methods.

Excavation or dredging – In this process, the contaminated soil is dug up and transported to regulated dump sites. But, if the bottom of a river or bay gets contaminated, dredging is employed for environmental remediation.

Surfactant Enhanced Aquifer Remediation (SEAR) – Special surfactants or hydrocarbon mitigation agents are injected into the subsurface to reduce desorption, which in turn speeds up the recovery process.

Pump and treat – The contaminated groundwater is pumped out and then treated for contamination through a series of vessels.

Solidification and stabilization – In stabilization, different kinds of reagents are added to the contaminated material to make it more stable chemically whereas, in solidification, the reagents are added to make it physically or dimensionally stable and limit the access to external agents like rain and air.

In-situ oxidation – This method involves injection of strong oxidants into contaminated soil and groundwater resources for environmental remediation.

In-situ vitrification – Contaminants and the surrounding soil are melted here using electricity and then cooled to form glass.

Bioremediation – It is defined as the process that uses microorganisms or their enzymes to return the environment polluted by contaminants to its original condition. It is an eco-friendly approach towards remediation and uses products such as Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 while dealing with oil spill cleanups.

Popularity: 5% [?]