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The Best Ways to Clean Up Ocean Oil Spills

The tragic Deep Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 has brought the concepts of dealing with this type of disaster to the forefront of the minds of the general public. The vast quantity of oil released in the disaster meant every possible method had to be employed to control and disperse the spill.

  1. Contain and Scoop

    • Because oil floats on water it is possible to contain areas of the spill within enclosed booms, these are flotation devices which are joined together in a string to encircle the oil. This method is only effective on calm seas. Once the oil is contained in the circle of booms, skimmers can be used to remove the floating mass. These booms are also used to slow or halt an oil slick's progress toward coastal regions.

    Chemical Dispersal

    • Chemicals can be used to help disperse the oil, these are generally dropped from planes onto large areas of slicks. Products such as Corexit act like a detergent and cause the oil to form into droplets, breaking apart the mass of the slick. The droplets can then disperse into the ocean. This process is effective to stop oil slicks from reaching the shore line and causing coastal damage to the wildlife, but can still cause damage to marine life.

    Biological Dispersal

    • Bacteria can be used to help naturally break down the oil. The organisms can help turn the molecules into carbon dioxide and harmless fatty acids. Used in tandem with chemical dispersants, this can greatly speed up the process of breaking down oil spills naturally. While the chemicals break up the oil slicks the bacteria find it easier to break down the smaller droplets and create less harmful byproducts.

    Burning

    • For oil spills causing imminent danger to the coastline, the practice of burning off the slicks is employed. Large areas of spills are set alight in controlled burns, the fire helping to break down the oil. Fireproof booms are used to contain and move the areas of oil further out to sea where the smoke from burning the slick will not affect inland areas.

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