Best available techniques (BATs) for oil spill response in the Mediterranean Sea: calm sea and presence of economic activities

Sustainability and capability-based assessment of marine oil spill response technologies using a decision support system under decomposed fuzzy set

Marine oil spills are a practically challenging environmental occurrence to remediate. The critical stage of managing marine oil spills is choosing an appropriate response technology. This research implements a novel sustainability and capability policy-oriented decision support system (DSS) and the decomposed fuzzy set-based ORESTE model. First, an integrated criteria system on the basis of the sustainability and capability aspects is employed by considering four social, environmental, economic, and capability dimensions. Second, the ORESTE model under the decomposed fuzzy environment is extended to deal with the uncertainty data, evaluate the conflicts between the candidate alternatives, and choose the optimal scenario. Seven technologies of bioremediation, solidifiers, dispersants, adsorbents, in situ burning, booms, and skimmers for remediating oil spills in the Persian Gulf, Iran, have been assessed. The assessment results indicate that the bioremediation technology is the optimal scenario for the oil spill-contaminated sites management and the suggested DSS is feasible and applicable.

Bayesian inference modeling to rank response technologies in arctic marine oil spills

Marine oil spills have a detrimental effect on aquatic systems. Yet, it is challenging to select appropriate technologies in the Arctic because of limited logistics support, inclement weather conditions, and remoteness, and limited research has been conducted in this direction. This article suggests a method to rank the oil response technologies, including mechanical recovery, chemical dispersant, and in-situ burning, for use in Arctic oil spill risk assessment and preparedness planning. The proposed Preference Learning based Bayesian Inference Modeling offers data-driven ranking of systems by learning a label function and considers factors such as ice covered sea areas, cold weather, and spill volume. A data generation system is developed to produce numerous oil spill scenarios, using a state-of-the-art engineering tool. Results demonstrate that the model, while simple, can efficiently and accurately select the best available technique, making it suitable primarily for marine pollution preparedness and response planning in strategic risk assessments.

Superhydrophobic magnetic sorbent via surface modification of banded iron formation for oily water treatment

In the current study, a simple dry coating method was utilized to fabricate a super-hydrophobic super-magnetic powder (ZS@BIF) for oily water purification using zinc stearate (ZS) and banded iron formation (BIF). The produced composite was fully characterized as a magnetic sorbent for oily water treatment. The results of X-ray diffraction diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and particle size analysis revealed the fabrication of homogenous hydrophobic-magnetic composite particles with core–shell structure. Contact angle and magnetic susceptibility results showed that 4 (BIF): 1 (Zs) was the ideal coverage ratio to render the core material superhydrophobic and preserve its ferromagnetic nature. The capability of the fabricated composite to sorb. n-butyl acetate, kerosene, and cyclohexane from oil–water system was evaluated. ZS@BIF composite showed a higher affinity to adsorb cyclohexane than n-butyl acetate and kerosene with a maximum adsorption capacity of about 22 g g⁻¹ and 99.9% removal efficiency. Moreover, about 95% of the adsorbed oils could be successfully recovered (desorbed) by rotary evaporator and the regenerated ZS@BIF composite showed high recyclability over ten repeated cycles.

Coir fiber-reinforced PVA aerogels for oil adsorption

Mechanically and thermally stable hydrophobic aerogels were prepared by simple boric acid condensation, freeze-drying, and chemical vapor deposition for the treatment of oily wastewater.

Advanced Switchable Molecules and Materials for Oil Recovery and Oily Waste Cleanup

Advanced switchable molecules and materials have shown great potential in numerous applications. These novel materials can express different states of physicochemical properties as controlled by a designated stimulus, such that the processing condition can always be maintained in an optimized manner for improved efficiency and sustainability throughout the whole process. Herein, the recent advances in switchable molecules/materials in oil recovery and oily waste cleanup are reviewed. Oil recovery and oily waste cleanup are of critical importance to the industry and environment. Switchable materials can be designed with various types of switchable properties, including i) switchable interfacial activity, ii) switchable viscosity, iii) switchable solvent, and iv) switchable wettability. The materials can then be deployed into the most suitable applications according to the process requirements. An in-depth discussion about the fundamental basis of the design considerations is provided for each type of switchable material, followed by details about their performances and challenges in the applications. Finally, an outlook for the development of next-generation switchable molecules/materials is discussed.

Decision support tools for oil spill response (OSR-DSTs): Approaches, challenges, and future research perspectives

Marine oil spills pose a significant threat to ocean and coastal ecosystems. In addition to costs incurred by response activities, an economic burden could be experienced by stakeholders dependent on coastal resources. Decision support tools for oil spill response (OSR-DSTs) have been playing an important role during oil spill response operations. This paper aims to provide an insight into the status of research on OSR-DSTs and identify future directions. Specifically, a systematic review is conducted including an examination of the advantages and limitations of currently applied and emerging decision support techniques for oil spill response. In response to elevated environmental concerns for protecting the polar ecosystem, the review includes a discussion on the use of OSR-DSTs in cold regions. Based on the analysis of information acquired, recommendations for future work on the development of OSR-DSTs to support the selection and implementation of spill response options are presented.

Macroporous Oil-Sorbents with a High Absorption Capacity and High-Temperature Tolerance Prepared through Cryo-Polymerization

The facile preparation and admirable performance of macro-porous poly(lauryl acrylate)-based oil-sorbents for organic solvents and oils are reported in this manuscript. Cryo-polymerizations of lauryl acrylate (LA) with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linker were carried out at temperatures below the freezing point of the polymerization mixture. The polymerization medium and pore-forming agent was 1,4-dioxane. The influences of the total monomer concentration, EGDMA content and cryo-polymerization temperature on the structure of the obtained P(LA-co-EGDMA) cryogels were investigated with the techniques of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurement and thermo-gravimetric analysis. Through the modulation of the crosslinking density and porosity of these cryogels, the P(LA-co-EGDMA) oil-sorbents demonstrated a high absorption capacity for organic solvents and oils, recyclability and high-temperature tolerance. The absorption capacity reached 20-21 and 16-17 g/g for toluene and gasoline oil, respectively. Those fabricated sorbents survived high temperatures up to 150 °C without any change in absorption capacity as well as porosity. Considering the convenient synthesis process and absorption performance, the present work offers a remarkable opportunity to bring polymer cryogels to practical application in waste oil clean-up.

A novel method for the synergistic remediation of oil-water mixtures using nanoparticles and oil-degrading bacteria

Releases of crude oil and other types of oil from numerous sources can impose catastrophic physical, chemical, and biological effects on aquatic ecosystems. While currently-used oil removal techniques possess many advantages, they have inherent limitations, including low removal efficiencies and waste disposal challenges. The present study quantified the synergistic interactions of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated magnetite nanoparticles (NP) and oil-degrading bacteria for enhanced oil removal at the laboratory scale. The results showed that at relatively high oil concentrations (375 mg L^-1), NP alone could remove approximately 70% of lower-chain alkanes (C9-C22) and 65% of higher-chain (C23-C26), after only 1 h, when magnetic separation of NP was used. Removal efficiency did not increase significantly after that, which was likely due to saturation of the NP with oil. Microbial bioremediation, using strains of oil-degrading bacteria, removed almost zero oil immediately but 80-90% removal after 24-48 h. The combination of NPs and oil-degrading bacterial strains worked effectively to remove essentially 100% of oil within 48 h or less. This was likely due to the sorption of oil components to NPs and their subsequent utilization by bacteria as a joint Fe and C source, although the mechanisms of removal require further testing. Furthermore, results showed that the emission of selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) were reduced after addition of NPs and bacteria separately. When combined, VOC and SVOC emissions were reduced by up to 80%.