Apr
29
How Exactly Are Oils Spills Cleaned Up?
The recent oil spill got me wondering how oil spills are cleaned up in open water. From my experience, separating oil from water is a difficult and messy task. The full answer is here.
Apparently there are four options.
1) Leave the oil alone so that it breaks down by natural means.
2) Contain the spill with booms and collect it from the water surface using skimmer equipment.
3) Use dispersants to break up the oil and speed its natural biodegradation.
4) Introduce biological agents to the spill to hasten biodegradation.
