Welcome to Globodyne Industries Oil Spill Cleanup Technologies Lab Sr. Scientist- Ms. Mabrey

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill- April 20, 2010

Oil Spill Impact http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/scenes_from_the_gulf_of_mexico.html

More than 60 million gallons of oil enter the oceans every year, but it’s not reported on the news. That’s because this oil seeps from oil-bearing rock layers into the ocean as part of a natural process. When tankers running aground spill oil, that’s news, and currently these accidents deposit about 37 million gallons of oil into the ocean every year. The largest amount of oil entering the ocean through human activity is the 363 million gallons that come from industrial waste and automobiles. When people pour their used motor oil into the ground or into a septic system, it eventually seeps into the groundwater. Coupled with industrial waste discharged into rivers, oil becomes part of the run-off from waterways that empty into the ocean. All of this oil affects ocean ecosystems. Popcorn Reading

When an oil spill occurs in the ocean, the oil may spread across miles of open water and up onto beaches, littering them with tar balls. The intertidal zones- coastal areas that are the habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife- are often the most vulnerable. Animals may perish when the oil slicks their fur or downy feathers, decreasing the surface area so they are no longer insulated from the cold water. Or the animals may ingest the oil, then become sick or unable to reproduce properly. Popcorn Reading

When an oil spill occurs along a coastline, it affects the human population as well as wildlife. Emergency equipment and personnel must be rushed to the scene. The responsible party must be identified to determine who will pay for the cleanup. Usually the cleanup is a group effort by oil companies, government agencies, local groups, and volunteers. People rescue and clean birds and animals and painstakingly scrub the oil from the rocky shores with brushes and detergent. Coming in by sea and by air, crews skim the spreading oil from the water’s surface. Oil that cannot be skimmed is chemically emulsified-that is, droplets of oil are scattered into tiny particles that will then float away and disperse out to sea. Oil is also microscopically dispersed through oil-eating bacteria. These microscopic helpers are genetically engineered to ingest the oil and clean up long after the crews and volunteers have left. Popcorn Reading

April 20, 2010, the eve of Earth Day, marks the start of the largest accidental oil spill in global history. BP Oil and Gas Company’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and after repeated failed efforts, the company temporarily capped the well 86 days later. The relief well intended to permanently seal the leak with mud and cement is slated weeks later in mid-August. Scientists estimate that close to five million gallons of oil spilled into the gulf. In addition, more than 600 miles of coastline were oiled. Recovery efforts estimate 34.6 million gallons of oily water was removed through skimmers and 11.1 million gallons burned off of the sea surface. Popcorn Reading (References: Nytimes.com, http://www.scimag.com/news-DS-Gulf-Flow-has-Stopped-but-Wheres-the-Oil-072810.aspx)

Methods of Cleanup

Chemical Dispersants

Oil Spill Dispersants Chemicals Used in Deep Waters Should Be Studied for Use Closer to Coastline Since the Exxon Valdez disaster, dispersants have been used extensively in other parts of the world, and they have been successfully employed in response to several oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico. Nevertheless, continued difficulty in quickly mobilizing oil dispersal prompted the U.S. Coast Guard recently to require that more equipment and personnel be on hand to apply dispersants to spills in a timely manner. Oil spill dispersants are controversial because unlike traditional cleanup techniques, where booms and skimmers are used in attempts to remove oil altogether from the water's surface, dispersants do not reduce the total amount of oil entering the sea. They can, however, dissolve a slick before it reaches the shoreline, where the oil smears birds and marine mammals and turns beaches and coastal wetlands black. As the report notes, the decision to use dispersants is a trade-off between decreasing the risk to organisms that thrive on the water's surface and coastline, and possibly increasing the risk to fish populations, sea grasses and coral reefs, and creatures that live on the seafloor. Better information is needed to decide whether to make that trade-off. With limited funding -- less than $10 million annually -- for research on oil spill dispersants, the report recommends that federal and state agencies, along with industry and international partners, establish an integrated research plan focused on experiments to support decisions about when and where to use dispersants. And more studies are needed on the toxicity of dispersed oil to sea life. For now, experiments should be conducted in wave tanks, although field testing in actual water environments may be deemed necessary in the future, the report says. -- Bill Kearney VIDEO: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/epa-force-bp-change-dispersants-10716775 START TIME: 3:05 mins.

What are some of the challenges that scientists face when considering their findings? Is it important for scientists to sell their ideas to companies? Why/Why not? Reflection Questions

Should scientists only worry about how much money they can make off of their products? Why/Why not? Exit Card: