SS Connection

Oil Spill Cleanup

My project is about oil spill cleanups and how they are important. Oil spills happen on accident most of the time, but it is still in fault of humans. Many habitats and animals can be destroyed from oil spills. Humans should have enough technology for oil spills to never happen, but until it happens, chemistry can clean oil spills for us.

It is a hard task to clean shorelines after an oil spill, because there are many factors that affect the type of cleanup including geology and water flow. Despite the difficulties of cleaning an oil spill, the cleanup must be done precisely and quickly before it causes damage to the environment and ecosystems around it. Extra absorbent polymer is one of the best, easiest ways to clean oil from water. Scientists created extra absorbent polymer to float above the water, as does oil, then absorb only the oil. This material expands when it soaks up, then removing the polymer will also remove the oil.

Cleaning up an oil spill is important because substances such as oil endanger many different species that live in the oceans. Oil is toxic so it can kill many animals and consequently harm other animals who eat foods that come from the ocean. The process of animals eating ill animals can go on to destroy ecosystems. This is why we must keep our oceans and waters clean. This process can also cause big problems for humans.

Many people live and rely on the coastline of oceans. Therefore, if an oil spill occur, their life has greatly been affected. The people may know about the spill and the economy will downfall because of the inability to sell seafood. If the people don’t know about the spill, they may continue to eat from the ocean and become very sick from the oil pollution. Either way, if there is a spill, it must be cleaned up before too much harm is done.

In conclusion, oil spill cleanups are very important if we want to keep the earth clean. Because of all the harm oil causes to ecosystems and enviroment, oil should be cleaned up and materials such as polymer are very efficient cleaning the substance. In the future probably more oil spills will be cleaned with polymer, and thus they won't become a hazard to animals, plants and humans.