Using edible ingredients, U.S. scientists have invented a new type of oil dispersant that not only breaks up spills, but also causes the oil to roll right off birds’ feathers.
“Other scientists are working on new oil dispersants and absorbents, but nothing that’s quite like ours,” said researcher Lisa K. Kemp at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) in a press release.
“It not only breaks up oil but prevents the deposition of oil on birds and other objects, like the ingredients in laundry detergent keep grease from redepositing on clothing in the rinse cycle.”
The new product is made of non-toxic ingredients that don’t cost much and can be purchased in large amounts.
“Each of the ingredients in our dispersant is used in common food products like peanut butter, chocolate, and whipped cream,” Kemp said.
When oil sticks to birds’ feathers, the birds can get poisoned trying to clean themselves. Detergents can clean the oil off animals, but this method damages their feathers and fur so that they’re no longer waterproof.
With the new dispersant, this problem could be prevented. “Birds can sit in slicks of the dispersed oil, they can dive through it and take off and flap their wings, and the oil will fall off,” said Kemp.
The idea was developed by a USM research team while screening many possible formulas for the dispersant. They now have a prototype that can be tested on real oil spills.
In the future, Kemp hopes that the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies can store small amounts of the dispersant for emergencies. Then, if more is needed, it can be made quickly since the ingredients are easy to obtain.
The research was presented at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia on Aug. 20.
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