Engineering Solutions

Engineering solutions that are used to contain and clean up oil spills are:

• Containment booms
• Oil skimmers
• Oil absorbent socks or pompoms
• Vacuums
• Chemical agents
• Biological agents

These are explained on the following pages. All different types of equipment and devices can be used in the cleanup process; even simple tools such as shovels are utilized.

A containment boom is a flexible pollutant containment barrier that floats on the water. It acts as a fence to prevent the spread of the slick and lifts the oil off the water. It is reusable, but must be decontaminated after each use. Its main drawback is that it is heavy to carry and difficult to use.

An oil skimmer is a machine that separates oil from water on which it floats. The most common types are:

• Weirs, which make the oil floating on the surface of the water to flow over a weir which is like a dam or barrier.
• Drums, which use a rotating element like a drum, which the oil adheres to, and is then wiped off and collected.
• Oleophilic, which uses ropes, discs, or drums that are made to, or treated with a substance, to adhere to oil.

Biological substances (microorganisms and other agents) are used to break down or remove oil. This process is called bioremediation.

A bioremediation accelerator is a substance that chemically and physically bonds to both soluble and insoluble hydrocarbons (those that can or cannot be dissolved in a liquid, like water).

It gathers together (or "herds") floating particles to the surface of water, forming gel-like agglomerations (or a gathered mass). When brought to the surface, aerobic (oxygen driven) forces can act on the oil and break it down.

These substances can have hazardous properties. You will need to be trained on their safe use and required PPE. Read the relevant SDS for each.

To learn more about Oil Spill Cleanup visit our Oil Spill Cleanup Hazards Online Training web page.