Lecithin-rich mixtures of the nontoxic surfactants lecithin and Tween 80 are effective marine oil spill dispersants, but produce much higher oil-water interfacial tension than other, comparably effective dispersants. This suggests interfacial phenomena other than interfacial tension influence lecithin-Tween 80 dispersants' effectiveness. The interface between seawater and dispersant-crude oil m...

The interaction of chemical dispersants and suspended sediments with crude oil influences the fate and transport of oil spills in coastal waters. A wave tank study was conducted to investigate the effects of chemical dispersants and mineral fines on the dispersion of oil and the formation of oil-mineral-aggregates (OMAs) in natural seawater. Results of ultraviolet spectrofluorometry and gas chr...

During the Deepwater Horizon oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, the application of 7 million liters of chemical dispersants aimed to stimulate microbial crude oil degradation by increasing the bioavailability of oil compounds. However, the effects of dispersants on oil biodegradation rates are debated. In laboratory experiments, we simulated environmental conditions comparable to the hydro...

OBJECTIVE To determine the most effective and biodegradable dispersant of spilled oil in water surrounding two Persian Gulf provinces. METHODS This study compared the effects of three dispersants, Pars 1, Pars 2, and Gamlen OD4000 on removal of oil in two Persian Gulf provinces' water. Overall, 16 stations were selected. Using the Well method, the growth rate of isolated bacteria and fungi wa...

The aim of this study was to examine the acute toxicity of five oil spill chemical dispersants on the ecologically and economically important coastal and estuarine species, blue crab Callinectes sapidus. Static, non-renewal 48 h acute toxicity tests were performed on stage-II blue crab zoea. The median lethal concentration (LC50) was calculated for each dispersant at 24 h and 48 h using nominal...

OBJECTIVES Infectious endophthalmitis has occurred despite the use of antibiotics in irrigating solutions during implantation of intraocular lenses (IOLs). This infection is generally resistant to antibiotic therapy and, therefore, removal of the implant is necessary before eradication of the infection. This study was designed to assess the role of chosen dispersants and anti-adhesives in inhib...

The secondary amines found in b-PIBSI dispersants prepared by attaching two polyisobutylene chains to a polyamine core via two succinimide moieties were reacted with ethylene carbonate (EC). The reaction generated urethane bonds on the polyamine core to yield the modified b-PIBSI dispersants (Mb-PIBSI). Five dispersants were prepared by reacting 2 molar equivalent (meq) of polyisobutylene termi...

Five heterotrophic bacteria isolated from brackish water collected from Nembe waterside, Port Harcourt, Rivers State were cultured aerobically in the presence of varying concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100mg/ml) of oil spill dispersants (Gold Crew and Camol) to determine the effects of the toxicants on their growth. The isolates were identified as Staphylococcus, Enterobacter, Bacillus, Pseud...

This report is a review of the literature on oil spill dispersants published from 2002 to August, 2008. The report identifies and summarizes recent advances in dispersant effectiveness, toxicity, and biodegradation. The prime motivation for using dispersants is to reduce the impact of oil on shorelines, thus the application must be successful and effectiveness high. As some oil would come ashor...

Oil dispersants, the tool of choice for treating oil spills in tropical marine environments, is potentially harmful to marine life, including reef corals. In a previous study, we found that dispersed oil and oil dispersants are harmful to soft and hard coral species at early life stages. In this broader study, we employed a "nubbin assay" on more than 10 000 coral fragments to evaluate the shor...