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A Comprehensive Study on Causes of Oil Spills and Remediation - a Review ACTA SCIENTIFIC MICROBIOLOGY (ISSN: 2581-3226) Volume 2 Issue 9 September 2019 Review Article A Comprehensive Study on Causes of Oil Spills and Remediation - A Review Ansh Kapoor*, Mayur Rai, Divya Agrawal and Sunil Kumar Sharma Department of Petroleum Engineering and Energy Studies, DIT University Dehradun, India *Corresponding Author: Ansh Kapoor, Department of Petroleum Engineering and Energy Studies, DIT University Dehradun, India. Received: July 31,2019; Published: August 28, 2019 DOI: 10.31080/ASMI.2019.02.0355 Abstract This review aims at spreading awareness about the serious issue of oil spills. Till date, a number of discoveries have been made for its treatment. We will discuss about the remediation techniques for oil spills. The focus is mainly on marine spills, since the events of spills have occurred majorly in marine environment. The remediation techniques involve the traditional use of boom barriers, meshes, use of CuO nanowires, biosorption and use of lodestone particles. We will also discuss about how oil spills can be hazardous. dispersants or emulsifiers, development of nanofibrillated cellulose sponge, natural disintegration of oil, development of wetting We will discuss about the major oil spills occurred till date and how they have affected the ecosystem. There will be a brief discussion about causes of oil spills and the applications used in its treatment. Keywords: Oil Spills; Environmental Degradation; Biosorption; Emulsification; Nano-materials Abbreviation Methodology E&P: Exploration and Production; ORMS: Oil Related Marine Snow; Over the period of time various remediation techniques have been developed for the treatment of oil spills. The remediation NFC: Nanofibrillated Cellulose; VLCC: Very Large Crude Carrier: WAF: Water Accommodated Fraction; PAH: Polycyclic Aromatic techniques taken up by E&P companies can be classified as: (a) Hydrocarbon;Introduction LC: Lethal Concentration. physicala) (b)Physical chemical techniques: (c) thermal and (d) biological. Oil spill is the release of liquid hydrocarbon in the environment barriers/ booms to the scene. They crowd the oil above the surface and then it is removed It involves using deploying skimmer of machines. floating due to natural disaster, vandalism, crashing of systems and human - activities which may include inability to handle the machinery, etc. Booms can be of different types like foam-filled, Inflat When oil is spilled it does not mix with water immediately, it forms booms. These barriers slow the spread of oil and contain a layer that is a few cms thick. This slick has to be removed as it itable in aand limited self-Inflating, region. Booms fire booms, are used and to trash reduce and the debris pos- blocks the oxygen pathway for aquatic life and harms the marine sibility of polluting shorelines and other resources, and to ecosystem. Oil can be spilled in marine environment by offshore help make recovery easier. rigs or oil tankers that have an accident or carry out the tank clean- b) Chemical techniques: It involves changing of chemical ing process. Exposure to chemicals during the containment pro- pr cess can cause cardiac arrest or arterial congestion in workers. The butoperties also protect of oil. Forthe thismarine purpose environment. we use dispersants They reduce or spilled oil intoxicates the intertidal species and cause nervous sys- theemulsifiers surface tensionthat not of only water prevent to facilitate the oil thorough from spreading mixing the movement of oil spills and make them unpredictable. Oil spill liquid. tem breakdown in fishes. Ocean tide, currents and weather change and produce a stable and uniform emulsified or dispersed may involve spillage of heavy or light oil. Citation: Ansh Kapoor., et al. “A Comprehensive Study on Causes of Oil Spills and Remediation - A Review". Acta Scientific Microbiology 157-159. 2.9 (2019): A Comprehensive Study on Causes of Oil Spills and Remediation - A Review 158 c) Thermal technique: This technique involves gathering of oil • Cu surfaces with laser induced microholes and CuO nanowires- CuO nanowires are produced on Cu substrate due to presence - tionin a specifiedinvolves mainlyregion twoand requirements-burning it in the fresh presence spill and of speciala calm pass a nanolaser through Cu surface to produce microholes in windequipments environment like igniters, in which fire oilresistant can be booms,burnt quickly etc. Its applicawithout itof whichheat and lead oxygen to increased but they adhesion are exfoliated of nanowires. (shed) Thequickly. surface We any loss of aquatic life. d) Biological technique: In this technique bacteria can be add- becomes superhydrophilic (i.e., oil rises up and water is stuck ed to spill site which is called bioaugmentation to biodegrade Resultsin the and pores) Discussion and can be used to treat oil spill. the oil. We can use biostimulation that involves addition of nu- As a result of old and damaged equipment, human error, and trients to already present oil degraders to stimulate growth. - leases oil into the environment. The largest spill has released tens Mexico and along the Atlantic coast can also be used. Bacterial bad luck, extracting oil from ground and moving it to refineries re speciesSpartina present or Cord in grass Spartina found plant along tissues coasts can of naturally Northern disinte Gulf of- millions of gallons of oil and has resulted in fouled coastlines, dead grate the oil. Studies at oil spill impacted coasts indicated that and injured wildlife. The most destructive oil spills are: the bacterial communities inside the tissues of the plant shift- 1. The Amoco Cadiz Oil Spill (1978)- The Amoco Cadiz, a breaking down the oil. As in 2015, the best bacteria is to be - ed and incorporated (combined) more bacteria that helped in lion gallons of light crude oil, ran aground on shallow rocks very large crude carrier (VLCC) stocked with nearly 69 mil so that a sponge can be made of it in lab which can be used off the coast of Brittany practicallyidentified from to treat that oil. community which can treat oil quite well , France, on the morning of March Some other methods are as follows barrels16, 1978. of Thisoil was spill spilled was caused which due polluted to bad about sea condition 200 miles and of environment (storm). In this spill about 1.6 to 1.7 In million 1992, • - US oil giant Amoco has decided not to appeal against the US lated cellulose was developed by an institute. It soaks up French coast and killed millions of invertebrates. Sponge of chemically modified wood called nanofibril sponges which is extracted from cellulose containing ma- court order that it must pay US$200 million to the French oil and leaves water behind. NFC is the basic material for terials by adding water to them and pressing the aqueous 2. government in damage to fisheries and tourist amenities. pulp through several narrow nozzles at high pressure. oil tanker Castillo de Bellver in August 1983 was responsible This produces a suspension with gel-like properties con- The Castillo de Bellver Oil Spill (1983) - A fire aboard the is not in practice yet. It was in early development stage Oceanfor the roughlytanker’s capsizing.70 miles from When Cape the fire Town, broke South out onAfrica. August In intaining 2015. long and interconnected cellulose nanofibres. It this6, the spill Castillo about de1.8 Bellver million was barrels located of oil, in drifted the South to within Atlantic 24 • Dispersion of lodestone particles that stick to the oil and miles of the coast before it sank in deep water. isolate it from water through magnetism- We use magne- 3. - d oil is absent it sinks into water. This is a solution through 20,BP’s 2010, Deepwater after a Horizon surge of Oil natural Spill (2010)gas blasted - The through largest aacci ce- magnetismtite (also called as magnetitelordstone) isas theit sticks original to the reason oil and behind when mentental well oil spill cap inthat history had recently began in been the Gulfinstalled of Mexico to seal on a April well discovery of magnetic force. • Development of MnO coated inverse wetting meshes- due to the negligence of the workers and members, where it 2 ignited,drilled by killing the Deepwater 11 workers Horizon and injuring oil platform. 17. In this It was spill caused about MnO2 nano-crystal coated inverse wettability meshes can be of 2 types: billion dollar was paid by the United States for the damage. • Superhydrophobicity mesh- It attracts heavy 4. 206 million gallons of -oil The spilled 2004 from Taylor Texas oil spill to Florida is an ongoing and 60 oil and water is deposited in mesh pores. It re- sp duces contact angle of heavy oil. Taylor oil spill (2004) • Underwater Superoleophobicity mesh- It re- ill located in the Gulf of Mexico, around 11 miles (18 km) duces contact angle of water and helps to rise Ivan.off the As coast of 2018 of state it was of estimated Louisiana, that which 300 resulted to 700 barrels from the of up whereas light oil is stuck in pores. oildestruction per day are of abeing Taylor spilled. Energy Taylor oil platform Energy reachedduring Hurricane an agree- Citation: Ansh Kapoor., et al. “A Comprehensive Study on Causes of Oil Spills and Remediation - A Review". Acta Scientific Microbiology 157-159. 2.9 (2019): A Comprehensive Study on Causes of Oil Spills and Remediation - A Review 159 2. Bing Chen., et al. “Chapter 22: Marine Oil Spills—Prepared- in order to fund the response to the spill according to The Wash- ingtonment with Post. the federal government to establish a $666 million trust ness and Countermeasures”. World Seas: an Environmental A research took place in 2018 which developed a relation 3. BaiyuEvaluation Zhang., (Second et al. “ChapterEdition), (2019):21: Marine 407-426. Oil Spills—Oil Pollu- between oil spill dispersants and formation of oil-related ma- - [1].
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