Oil Spill Blog

Last year saw the worst oil spill disaster in US history when BP’s Deepwater Horizon deep sea drilling rig exploded and the wellhead started gushing out crude oil by thousands of gallons. At that time, the immediate concern was to have an effective oil spill response that would contain the oil spill and limit the damage to the environment. As part of the oil spill cleanup huge quantities of dispersants were used to contain the Gulf oil leak, both on the surface as well as deep underwater near the wellhead.

Although the immediate danger had been taken care of, a new and equally disturbing concern has cropped up in the form of the dispersants used in the oil spill cleanup. According to a study, the dispersants injected deep in the water to counter the oil gusher, still linger underwater, raising concerns of long-term problems. Scientists have conducted field tests on the oil spill dispersants to determine the biodegradation rate and results show that the rate is quite slow. In some cases, it is seen that it is the oil that breaks down quickly than the dispersant.

This fact has brought to light several concerns regarding oil spill dispersants. They contain harmful chemicals that leave behind a witch’s brew of other potentially dangerous chemicals after interacting with crude oil in water. The threat to human health and marine environment will have long term effects, in health and in lifestyle. With the Gulf oil toxic dispersants moving around deep underwater, the marine ecosystem in the Gulf is in a very critical state.

All these problems could have been avoided by using appropriate oil spill cleanup techniques. Using a biodegradable dispersant is the most apt choice as it is unlikely to linger on and affect the environment. Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200 is one such biodegradable oil spill cleaner that clears oil spills using bioremediation, bringing back the environment to its naturally pristine state.

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The moment we come across an oil spill, one remedy that strikes our mind is the use of oil spill dispersants. Though we’re aware that these dispersants can help contain an oil spill, most of us don’t know its exact working mechanism. We don’t even know if they are a boon or bane. If you have the same doubts in your mind, then read on!

Pros:

Here are some advantages of using oil spill dispersants

• Oil spill dispersants change the chemical and physical properties of oil so that it mixes better with water.

• Oil spill dispersants when used efficiently can prove to be a effective method of oil spill containment.

Cons:

Though using dispersants may seem like a fair idea, it has several drawbacks

• First and foremost, once dispersants break down oil in the deep water, the oil gets to the top surface, which is then contained using booms. But, what makes their use not advisable is the fact that they cannot be used near the shore. If used, they might be even toxic than the oil itself. For instance, Corexit, the dispersant being used in the containment of the recent Gulf oil spill is a kerosene-based dispersant and can be considered hazardous. Also, EPA recommends the use of this dispersant only at depths of 75 meters or deeper.

• Dispersants can be effective only when used within 1 or 2 days after an oil spill, after which natural weathering makes the oil more complex to disperse.

• Dispersed oil also stands the risk of entering the food chain as there are chances of the oil being consumed by planktons.

• Viscous oil cannot be dispersed effectively using chemical dispersants since the oil may run off into the water even before the solvents can penetrate.

Since chemical oil spill dispersants’ cons overweigh pros, you can think of using eco-friendly cleaners, such as Oil Gone Easy S-200, which works using bioremediation technique, to cleanup oil spills.

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