I think we do not need to go back much in time to recall some of recent incidents at the sea when it comes to oil spills. One of the recent most mentioned is 2010 Gulf spill at BP platform. Oil spills can be controlled by chemical dispersion, combustion, mechanical containment, and/or adsorption. Spills may take weeks, months or even years to clean up. Environmental effects are devastating.
Oil penetrates into the structure of the plumage of birds and the fur of mammals, reducing its insulating ability, and making them more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much less buoyant in the water. Oil can impair a bird's ability to fly, preventing it from foraging or escaping from predators. As they preen, birds may ingest the oil coating their feathers, irritating the digestive tract, altering liver function, and causing kidney damage. Together with their diminished foraging capacity, this can rapidly result in dehydration and metabolic imbalance. Some birds exposed to petroleum also experience changes in their hormonal balance, including changes in their luteinizing protein. The majority of birds affected by oil spills die without human intervention. Some studies have suggested that less than one percent of oil-soaked birds survive, even after cleaning, although the survival rate can also exceed ninety percent, as in the case of the Treasure oil spill. Heavily furred marine mammals exposed to oil spills are affected in similar ways. Oil coats the fur of sea otters and seals, reducing its insulating effect, and leading to fluctuations in body temperature and hypothermia. Oil can also blind an animal, leaving it defenseless. The ingestion of oil causes dehydration and impairs the digestive process. Animals can be poisoned, and may die from oil entering the lungs or liver. You just wish you can become Steven Seagall and kick some ***. Of course, humans are affected too. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, for example, will have a large economic impact on the U.S. Gulf fisheries. A new study published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences says that over 7 years this oil spill could have a $US8.7 billion impact on the economy of the Gulf of Mexico. This includes losses in revenue, profit, and wages, and close to 22 000 jobs could be lost. Obviosuly we depend on oil so is there a way to fight this problem once it happens?
Apparently, there is. A new type of sponge that loves oil as much as it hates water could make a big difference when cleaning up an oil spill. Researchers at Rice University and Penn State University say the tiny sponge they've developed can absorb 100 times its weight in oil. The sponge is made out of carbon nanotubes (of course). Extra boron atoms are added at all its junctions to boost the sponge's ability to absorb. One of the main reasons it works so well is because adding a bit of boron to carbon while creating nanotubes turns them into solid, spongy, reusable blocks. This helps the sponge increase its ability to absorb oil spilled in water. Watch a video about the sponge below.
The researchers believe the sponge could someday play a significant role in cleaning up oil spills.
Credits: Nature magazine, Wikipedia