Taylor VanGorder
Methods of Cleaning Oil Spills
Shane Biggs
11/15/2021
Oil is an important part of daily life but with this comes consequences such as oil spills. Many believe that drilling is a problem for the environment and wish to stop it. But because oil is such an important part of the world, we need to be prepared for the outcomes of it. Finding ways to clean up oil spills is a great way to solve this problem. Coming up with creative ideas for the cleanup helps the habitats around it and will benefit the future ecosystems. The timeframes for cleaning oil spills is critical. Cleaning must start immediately. Starting at the source, one must stop the flow from there. Once the oil stops flowing, then the cleanup crews can begin their various methods. Studies have shown that there are three main ways that environmental researchers and scientists whose speciality is this particular issue clean up oil spills – skimming, burning, and chemical dispersants. These are the most common methods for cleaning oil spills, but new research has shown that there are new methods being introduced.
A new study shows that a group of researchers have come up with a “sponge” of sorts that can absorb the oil from the top of the water. This sponge is called a clay sponge and it specifically draws out the oil from the water and leaves that water behind trying only to draw out the water. This is still in the research process, but shows that new techniques are being developed. Another new technology being invented is the oil filtration device. Though this is not a practical use of millions of money, it shows that new methods are being discovered.
Oil spills have been known to have a harmful effect on wildlife. One way in which it can affect animals is through the animals ingestion. Ingestion of oil can cause internal problems and will cause the animals to have troubles when digesting and absorbing their food. Another way that animals can be affected by oil spills is in the absorption of the oil into their skin which would cause infections of the skin. Not to mention, if an animal breathes in the oil it can harm the animal’s lungs and cause them to have respiratory problems. In the long run, animals might have to be displaced from their current habitats and migrate to another location. It is also a possibility that oil spills are the cause of disrupted life cycles in animals.
Not only can oil spills affect the environment, but it can also affect the environment. When oil spills occur on the ocean, the oil can not mix with the water meaning the oil just stays on the top of the water which can cause problems. This can block the sunlight from reaching the ocean animals which can affect the entire ecosystem. The layer of oil on the top of the water can become what is called “slick”. The oil can spread thousands of miles which can in turn wash up on the beaches and shores of local coasts. Sometimes different oils react differently when spilled. Some can deposit some of the oil to the bottom of the ocean. All of these things can affect the ecosystem negatively which is in part one of the reasons why more research is needed to help clean up oil spills.
There have been many different types of methods for cleaning up oil spills, but there are four main ways that most oil cleaning companies use. The first method is known as the skimming method. This method is the easiest method because of the oil that floats on top of the water. This involves using oil booms. The oil booms allow the oil cleaning company to skim the top of the water and gather it up and then suck up the top layer of oil. However, sometimes it can pick up some of the water along with it. This method is dependent on a few different conditions which can cause it to not be incredibly reliable, like the amount of wind and the type of weather. With the ideal conditions this can be an extremely effective way to clean oil spills.
The second way to clean up oil spills is to burn the oil off of the water. Two boats will tow a fire-retardant collection boom to concentrate enough oil to burn. Some of the ideal weather conditions for burning the oil would be mild winds and flat seas. These conditions make the process easier and will help with the concentration of smoke.
The third method, using chemical dispersants, is a system that is not as often used because the chemicals being used can negatively affect the wildlife and the environment. The chemicals break down the oil into smaller droplets which then allows those droplets to mix more easily into the water. But oil can never totally dissolve into the water which is a major cause for concern. If this method proves to be unsuccessful, the oil could stay on the top of the water where it could then cause the birds and wildlife serious harm. This problem could also negatively affect nearby beaches and wetlands. Bioremediation, using microorganisms or bacterial colonies to eat up the oil, is a way to clean up oil as well. The organisms slowly digest all of the oil. This can take a while and is not very useful in large spills.
Oil spills are a serious problem to the environment. Spills can cause problems to wildlife and the ecosystem in the future. The habitats around those marine lives in that area too. We need not only to think of the present but also the future. The future is the most important because our lives and our generations that come after us will either reap or sow the consequences of the ideas and actions made.
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