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How to Fix Oil Spills with Skimming and Dispersants

The fossil fuel economy makes the whole world of modern conveniences possible, but that convenience comes with a price. Oil spills, both large and small, pollute the land and water and cost millions of dollars to repair. British Petroleum spent nearly $10 billion on the Gulf Oil Spill in 2010, as reported in the Guardian, a UK news magazine. Skimmers and oil-dispersing chemicals are two of the most effective methods for dealing with ocean oil spills.

Things You'll Need

Boots, gloves, mask
Oil booms
Skimmers
Dispersant chemicals

Instructions

- 1
  
  Booms work well because most oil floats on the water's surface.
  
  Deploy booms, which are floating plastic barriers, from ships to contain the oil spill near the source. As a back-up measure, enclose delicate wildlife areas and fisheries with a boom ring. If possible, protect the coastline with yet more booms.
- 2
  Apply dispersant chemicals to the oil as soon as possible. Dispersants are similar to dish soap and work more effectively on light oil than thick crude. Less is more when it comes to dispersants, as applying too much can lead to additional environmental issues. The purpose of dispersants is to break the oil into small enough particles that wind and wave action will destroy it.
- 3
  
  Fleets of skimmer boats are necessary to cope with large oil spills.
  
  Remove heavy oil from the water's surface using a skimming device. Skimmers come in three varieties: Suction skimmers function like powerful vacuum cleaners. Weir skimmers resemble floating dams that separate oil from water. Oil-attracting skimmers consist of a material that is dragged through the water and then squeezed into a holding container. Most skimmers work best in calm water.

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