New Oil Spill Cleanup Technologies

Giant oil spills are among the largest man-made disasters in the past century. Beaches have been
polluted, birds and fish have been killed, and millions of gallons of crude oil have been lost to
the sea. The main methods to deal with these disasters have been chemical disbursement of the
oil, skimming oil off the surface of the ocean, and burning spilled oil. There are, however, many
new technologies that have been developed for oil cleanup. Traditional oil spill cleanup methods
should be abandoned completely in favor of new technologies.
New cleanup technologies are safer for wildlife than traditional cleanup methods. One new
method, already in use in Canada, uses milkweed plant fibers for oil absorption. The fibers clean
up oil twice as fast as traditional methods. This method can prevent oil from spreading to affect
birds and fish. Another method in development will employ oil-gathering robots, which emit
high-frequency sound waves that repel wildlife from the spill. Aerogel sponges have also been
developed, based on technology from NASA, which can clean oil off of birds better than
traditional soap and rinses.
Another huge advantage is that many of the new technologies allow the spilled oil to be
reclaimed, instead of burned or dispersed into the ocean. Out of a sampling of nine new oil
cleanup technologies, four have demonstrated success in gathering the spilled oil so that it can be
processed for reuse. Specifically, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has addressed
problems in reclaiming spilled oil in changing concentrations and recommends adding
nanoparticles to oil onboard ships to facilitate recovery of spilled oil quickly and efficiently
(Larry Hardesty, MIT News Office, September 12, 2012).
Traditional methods of cleanup are most widely used because they are known, understood, and
promoted by government agencies. In the article “How Do Oil Spills out at Sea Typically Get
Cleaned Up?” (U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 6/7/2015), three
methods are described and laid out for best use in different cleanup situations. Chemical
disbursement, net skimming, and surface burning are described. These three methods are out of
date, and none of the methods presented in the article provide for reclamation of spilled oil.
New oil spill cleanup technologies are available and should be used to replace all outdated
cleanup methods. Join an organization supporting use of new cleanup technologies, and send
communication to local and national governments promoting legislation that mandates use of
these better methods. Together we can work to stop the environmental damage caused by oil
spills!