New research into timing of dispersant use
As part of a research program funded by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, or BSEE, into the use of dispersants for oil spill response, S.L. Ross Environmental Research has been conducting tests in BSEE’s Ohmsett test facility, according to a recent Ohmsett newsletter.
Oil spilled in water degrades over time and, for dispersants to be effective in responding to an oil spill, the dispersants need to be applied before that degradation reaches a point where the dispersants cease to work. The objective of the research is to evaluate the potential time window within which dispersants can usefully be applied following a spill. The Ohmsett facility consists essentially of a large, long water tank with equipment that enables the simulation of ocean conditions. The dispersant research involved the placement of several different types of crude oil in the tank and then periodically testing the condition of the oils and the effect of dispersants on the oils as the oils weathered. Apparently, depending on the type of oil involved, weathering of the oil took place over periods of 3.5 to 61 hours.
The test facility is located in New Jersey and is currently closed while staff clears up damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.
—Alan Bailey
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