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Gulf oil Spill
A devastating event that lasted 87 days of which an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon/BP MC252 drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers and caused the rig to sink and released 132 gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This affected everything around as seafood wasn't safe to eat as the waters were contaminated the marine life were affected severely as the birds, turtles and dolphins needed oxygen to survive. -
Another Method of Cleaning an oil spill
If that doesn't work they can spray dispersants, chemical emulsifiers. Some of the dispersants contain surfactants the chemicals that are in your detergent, which breaks up the oil and other dirt because their molecules have opposite ends. One end is hydrophilic, which means it likes water and one end is called oleophilic, which means it likes oil. This makes it easier to clean as it separates the oil from water but studies have shown that it might be hurting the coral and ecosystems below. -
How does one clean up an oil spill?
Oil is insoluble so it doesn't mix with water instead it floats on top of the water in a layer a few centimetres thick. Temporary barries called booms gathers the oil in a confined space. Below the booms, they have a skirt that catches any oil below the surface. Once the oil is packed in a small space it can be scooped up with skimmers. -
3rd Method of cleaning oil spills
The third and said to be the most effective way to clean oil is burning it this strategy is called situ-burning. Decades of research has shown burning the oil can remove up to 90% of the oil in the water but this strategy of cleaning oil spills have only been used a limited amount of times.
