Photochemical oxidation reduced the efficacy of aerial dispersants applied in response to the <i>Deepwater Horizon</i> spill.

ABSTRACT: Chemical dispersants are one of many tools used to mitigate the overall environmental impact of oil spills. In principle, dispersants break up floating oil into small droplets that disperse into the water column where they are subject to multiple fate and transport processes. The effectiveness of dispersants typically decreases as oil weathers in the environment. This decrease in effectiveness is often attributed to evaporation and emulsification, with the contribution of photochemical weathering assumed to be negligible. Here, we aim to test this assumption using Macondo well oil released during the Deepwater Horizon spill as a case study. Our results indicate that the effects of photochemical weathering on Deepwater Horizon oil properties and dispersant effectiveness can gr

SUBMITTER: Ward CP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7252568 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature