The oil spewing from what remains of the Deepwater Horizon oil well in the Gulf of Mexico will have a huge environmental impact on the surrounding states for years to come. Estimates have the barrel count anywhere from 5,000 to 100,00 per day of raw crude gushing into the ocean and the total has already exceeded the Exxon Valdez. Millions of feet of oil booms have been deployed in an effort to contain the slick, as well as the application of dispersants and even burning in the open water.
Even so, as the oil begins reaching the coastline, the damage caused to marshes, wetlands, beaches, etc will escalate and make the aforementioned remedies obsolete. What is needed are hydrophobic materials that will absorb oil, but not water. These materials should also encapsulate the oil, so that it can be easily picked up, or if left, present no threat to the environment. Although many of the proposed solutions are noble, most have limited ability to “sequester” the oil for extended periods. Most simply use surface tension, which allows the oil to “stick” to the material, leaving it available to be transferred to whatever may contact it.
There are materials, such as our CleanB-sorbent, that readily absorb hydrocarbons, not water. Due to the incredible amount of surface area contained in the material, it is capable of absorbing up to six times its weight. CleanB-sorbent is an all natural product and poses no threat to vegetation or wildlife, and prevents the oil from leaching out, even when pressed. In other applications, it is used to clean up spills on land and some inland waterways. For these applications, the material is either collected and land farmed or used to treat the spill in situ (in place). When done properly, the TPH will begin declining within two weeks or so and then begin a rapid decline over the next 90-120 days as the indigenous microbes consume the material. Vegetation is easily grown in treated areas after clean up.
