Scientists with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) have been investigating solvent-free formulations to improve the safety and efficiency of dispersant technologies used in oil spill response. One promising area involves halloysite clay nanotubes.
Scientists compared laboratory-generated weathered oil with weathered oil samples collected during Deepwater Horizon to better understand how different processes, specifically photo-oxidation and bio-oxidation, affect how oil changes chemically and physically.
Nine years of research on BP spill, dispersants documents potential human health, mental health effects – JANUARY 3, 2020 (from The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate / by Mark Schleifstein / January 2, 2020) Nearly a decade of BP-funded research has uncovered a laundry list of potential health effects resulting from the Deepwater Horizon…
Because oil and water don’t mix easily, oil droplets in the ocean environment tend to aggregate into larger masses, which hinders microbial degradation.
University and industry scientists are developing a benign alternative to chemical dispersants used for oil spill response, such as COREXIT used during Deepwater Horizon.
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine released their evaluation findings that assessed the effects and efficacy of dispersants as an oil spill response tool.
Scientists developed a modeling framework that includes small-scale fluid dynamics to investigate how dispersant application during Deepwater Horizon may have affected oil biodegradation and the environment.
A new study shows that sunlight transforms oil spills on the ocean surface more quickly and significantly than previously thought, limiting the effectiveness of chemical dispersants that break up floating oil.
A 12-day science expedition on the exploration vessel Ocean Intervention II embarks June 11 to investigate how oil, gas, and chemical dispersants affect marine life and their environment deep in the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists and outreach personnel onboard the vessel will interact with the public and school-age children using streaming video, social media, and question-and-answer sessions.
Scientists analyzed synthetic aperture radar satellite (SAR) imagery to compare the magnitude and distribution of floating oil from natural seeps in the Gulf of Mexico and the Deepwater Horizon spill.