Gulf Oil Spill

 

The oil spill in the Gulf was a very deeply harmful event to both the environment as well as the economy. The best solution would be the most cost effective as well as removing as much oil as possible with in a short time period. There are a few ways to clean up an oil spill. One of the methods is to leave the oil alone to break down naturally. However, this would only be possible if it had no likelihood of polluting the coastal regions or marine industries like fishing. Another method would be to contain the spill with booms and collect it from the surface with skimmer equipment. Usually spilt oil floats on water and initially forms a slick that is a few millimeters thick. One consideration of this method would be that booms and skimmers are less effective when deployed in high winds and high seas.

The third option would be to use dispersants to break up oil and to help speed up its natural biodegradation. Dispersants work by reducing the surface tension that that stops the water and oil from mixing. This promotes rapid dilution of the oil by water movements, and increases the surface area which then increases the exposure to natural evaporation and bacterial action. This method is the most effective when used an hour or two after the initial spill. If the government was to use this plan, they would need to take into account since the spill would include the weather, the environment involved, and the type of oil that was spilled. The fourth option would be to introduce biological agents to the spill the increase the pace of biodegradation. The oil that is washed up along the shore can be broken down by bacteria and other microorganisms into harmless substances which is called biodegradation. By adding fertilizing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, the natural process can be increased which will stimulate growth of the microorganism concerned. The effectiveness of this technique depends on whether the ground that is treated has sand or pebbles and whether the fertilizer is water soluble or applied in pellet or liquid form.

I believe that the best solution would be to use biological agents to the spill to increase the pace of biodegradation. That is because the shore line of Florida was greatly affected by this oil spill as well as many marine creatures who washed up on the shore sporting signs of the oil spill. Also it would fix on of the problems of cleaning up the beaches of Florida to help get the tourist industry back.