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Bacteria Bioremediation
One of the most promising oil spill cleanup ideas is with bioremediation. This term means cleaning up a pollution site with microorganisms or other lifeforms. Combating oil spills with bioremediation has not been employed by humans on a large scale; however, nature has been recorded using this method. For instance, in January 2011, scientists from Texas A&M University and the University of California at Santa Barbara theorized that bacteria consumed large amounts of the methane gas given off during the Gulf oil spill disaster of 2010.
Burning
One way to clean up an oil spill is to conduct a controlled burn. This method ignites the oil and burns it. The byproduct of this process turns the oil into a thick tarry substance that can be retrieved with scooping devices. However, the negative side effect of this method is that it releases pollution and toxic gases into the sky. In effect, the process transfers the oil pollution from a liquid form to a gaseous form. Also, conducting a burn is extremely dangerous.
Boom
As of 2011, a boom is one of the most widely used techniques for cleaning up an oil spill. Boom is a long strand of floatable material that acts as a barrier, absorbent or corral of oil that floats at the surface of the water. This method can be effective; however, large waves and bad weather can dislodge boom. Also, these devices only clean or corral oil at the water's surface. Boom can quickly become weighed down and must be cleaned or changed out.
Dispersants
Like boom, dispersants are also a widely used oil spill cleanup method. Dispersants are chemicals that break down oil into smaller chemical components. This process prevents the oil from coating, poisoning or killing birds or marine life. However, the long-term side effects of these chemicals is still relatively unknown. During the 2010 Gulf oil disaster, large amounts of chemical dispersants were dropped from planes onto the oil in the ocean.