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Updated: Apr 13, 2026
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Enhanced Oil Recovery using a Combination of Biosurfactants
Published on: June 3, 2022
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Oil spill dispersants: boon or bane?
1ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc., Annandale, New Jersey 08801 United States.
Environmental Science & Technology
|May 5, 2015
Summary
Chemical dispersants offer a vital response to oil spills, protecting wildlife and accelerating biodegradation. While chemical use has costs, it significantly reduces the oil
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Marine Biology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Catastrophic oil spills pose significant environmental threats.
- Recapturing spilled oil is not always feasible.
- Dispersants are an alternative response strategy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically review the environmental debits and credits of using chemical dispersants in oil spill response.
- To evaluate the net environmental benefit of dispersant application.
- To compare the environmental residence time of beached versus dispersed oil.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of dispersant use in oil spill response.
- Analysis of environmental impacts (debits and credits) of dispersants.
- Comparison of oil degradation rates (beached vs. dispersed).
Main Results:
- Dispersants protect marine life by moving oil into the water column.
- Dispersant use dramatically increases microbial biodegradation of oil.
- Dispersed oil has a half-life of weeks, compared to years for beached oil.
Conclusions:
- Dispersant use in oil spills can offer a net environmental benefit.
- The reduced environmental residence time of dispersed oil outweighs potential chemical costs.
- Dispersants are a valuable tool for mitigating large-scale oil spill impacts.
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