07.06.2010

Magic Nano in the Gulf of Mexico

British Petrol is still trying to stop the leaking of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, since the previous attemtps have not proven overall successful so far, the ecological and economic catastrophe in the region is growing, and quick alternatives to minimise the dramatic impacts of the oil on the aquatic life and the coastlines are needed. Is nanotechnology one of them?

While it has proven impossible so far to stop the oil from leaking into the Gulf of Mexico, an ever increasing carpet of oil is threatening the adjacent coast lines. Besides the work to solve the actual root problem of the oil release, solutions to minimise the impact of the oil on the aquatic and coastal life are desperately needed.

One option under discussion is the use of so-called dispersants. Obviously, oil does not mix with water but forms a thin film on the surface of the sea. An oil spill dispersant fulfills the purpose of breaking the oil film into small portions by forming an engulfment around individual oil droplets, thereby making them mixable with water. Once done so, the oil is available for quicker microbial breakdown.

In the search for an environmentally acceptable dispersant, nanotechnology has recently entered the stage. A private US company named "Green Earth Technologies" (GET) has offered the EPA an oil dispersant product which is not only the solution for the Gulf oil spill disaster, but also "ultimate biodegradable" and based on "NANO emulsion technology". According to information given by GET, the product is composed of a different plant, tree, fruit and vegetable extracts which are processed into a colloidal micelle solution of less than 5 nanometers particle size.

GET urged the EPA to waive the 60 to 90 day approval process in the light of the present urgency, and that the "EPA should have confidence in our existing data and results allowing for on-site testing".

More about this and the reactions from some NGOs can be found in our free monthly newsletter.