Research Proposal: Optimum ENP for Oil Spill Remediation
Literature Review Summary and Knowledge Gap
Oil spill contains crude oil, small amount of heavy metal, refined and unrefined petroleum oil(Intertek, 2015). Due to these toxic chemicals, oil spill is an environmental issue and needs great attention because of its adverse effective in aquatic life and ecological balance. Use of nanomaterials in oil spill remediation is a novice approach. Oil and water separation requires technology with unique wettability, super hydrophobic and oleophilic surface property. This can be achieved with surface modification using nanoparticles. These types of modified nanomaterials will be able to absorb oil or toxic organic compounds from the contaminated
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The nanowire will be coated with a layer of silica gel and TiO2. This modified ENP will have selective adsorption ability, wide range of oil absorption capacity. It will have magnetic property for quick treatment in the contaminated area (In-situ treatment). The research will also involve in large scale in-situ implementation method that show little to no toxic effect due to the synthesized ENP.
Workplan
ENP Synthesize
The research will start with synthesizing the ENP with three functional property. A MnO nanowire will be grown by hydrothermal method. The nanowire will have a Fe3O4 core and MnO shell. A silica gel coating will be on the nanowire followed by a TiO2 coating using sol-gel method.
Characterization
The characterization of the synthesized ENP will be done using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high resolution-TEM respectively(Stefan et al., 2014). The stability test and surface tension will be calculated using DELVO equations. The composition of the sample will be characterized with Energy Dispersion X-ray(EDX). The characterization will also involve testing the magnetic property. The magnetic force will be determined with simple weight balance and digital caliper(Gomes de Souza, Marins, Rodrigues, & Pinto, 2010). The weight variation with a neodymium N42 magnet (external Gauss strength and energy density equal to 13.2 kG and 42 MG · Oe, respectively) will be used for magnetic force measurement using F_m= ∆mg.
In the article they used hay to control soil erosion along highways and back roads, as it turns out hay can also be used to soak up oil spills and leave clean water behind. For the lab, we are thinking to use hay and play-do (in the use of clay) to try to clean up the oil.
The only argument one can come up with is that an oil spill is a sad side effect of a very necessary oil industry. The oil industry plays a role in almost all machine based industries. It has arguably become the most sought after source of energy. Without the oil industry, much of the world would come to a halt. The energy based market would plummet. So, if minor oil spills and occasional large spills are required to keep the market intact and the energy output in the world consistent, technological enthusiasts will allow it. Even though we can always bring up the importance of the oil industry, on the contrary, an understanding and reasonable person would argue that since our world is being harmed by the oil, its acquiring process, and how the supply is slowly depleting, these oil conglomerates should stop trying to pretend that everything is and stop milking the oil industry till it fails and as the world have nothing to fall back
Oil spills are notorious environmental hazards. Spills are costly to clean up, and they impact hundreds of
Using of spinel ferrites nanoparticles in electromagnetic devices such as memories, sensors and data storage in modern information technology applications [1-3] made many researchers all over the world do all efforts for synthesis and development of magnetic nano-particles. These nano-particles possess special magnetic and electrical properties with high
Besides that, these tiny oil particles can be degraded more quickly by bacteria presence in the ocean and wash away from spill site by ocean waves3. It was about 2 million galons1 of dispersants was used to prevent the oil slicks to clear up the surface water contaminated. The dispersant chemical helped to clear the slicks out of vision however it somewhat distributed negative impact to the ecosystem from potential harm wildlife to food chain. The tiny oil droplets either suspended in the water or fall down to the bottom of the ocean floor. Therefore, bottom sediment samples were collected to analyze for the remaining of crude oil and the main active compound of dispersant which are the anionic sufactant dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate
Oil spills are no uncommon occurrence with nearly 14,000 oil spill’s yearly causing water pollution as a consequence of many companies not knowing how to properly dispose of oil along with citizens not knowing proper procedures,one of the largest happened in 1989 when an Exxon Valdez oil tanker tipped over into the ocean.
During use, new oil picks up toxic chemicals, carcinogenic hydrocarbons, and heavy metals which harm the environment and public health when used oil is disposed of improperly. One pint of oil can produce a slick covering approximately one acre of water. Used oil in waterways threatens fish, waterfowl, insects and aquatic life. In salt water, oil kills the microscopic plankton and algae that form the base of the marine food web. Very small amounts of oil spilled in the habitat of fish and shellfish can contaminate their flavor. Used oil seeps through landfills and soils to contaminate groundwater supplies. One quart of oil can foul the taste and purity of 250,000 gallons of water. Used oil applied to roads as a dust suppressant causes water
Synthesis of OA-Fe3O4 NPs: OA-Fe3O4 NPs were prepared following the literature method [36]. For the synthesis of OA-stabilized Fe3O4 NPs, Fe(acac)3 (2 mmol), 1,2-hexadecanediol (10 mmol), oleic acid (5 mmol), oleylamine (6 mmol), and benzyl ether (20 mL) were mixed and magnetically stirred under
Ocean oil spills greatly impact the world today because oil is harmful to ocean life, mammals, and even humans. Since oil remains in the ocean for a considerably long time, scientists cannot determine how greatly the oil has really impacted the world today (Carey). However, It is important to know how ocean oil spills are caused, who and what they affect, and how to prevent and control them with the hope that the numbers will decline throughout the years.
The size of the NPs prepared was in-between 100-150nm. The NPs prepared were found to have sustained drug release properties (Mittal et al. 2007).
To date, the majority of oil spill operations are rarely capable of recovering and/or treating more than a small portion of the oil which was spilt.12 Within the Gulf of Mexico it was estimated that nearly 4.9 billion barrels of oil were spilt, and approximately half of the oil spilt was 100% methane which and is still within the Gulf today.12 The oil was able to rise to the ocean surface and extended over an estimated 68,000 square miles—this is approximately the same size as the state of Oklahoma.12 Considering the amount of oil spilt, there has been and continues to be a huge impact on marine life, wildlife and their ecosystems, as well as the fishing and tourism industries.
Pollution is a dangerous thing. It can really hurt or even kill animals. Why is there so much pollution and how can we stop it? Why there was so much pollution and is there a way to stop it. We are going to be taking hydrogel and pouring a spoonful of oil into it and seeing how long it takes to contaminate. We think that the used oil we become thickest with the hydrogen. Our three pronged thesis is oil effect, contamination, and pollution solution.
In the wake of one of the worst oil spills since the Exxon-Valdez disaster, a massive inquiry into the underlying cause of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy has begun. Many people are wondering if this was a case of poor engineering, corporate greed, negligence, or even simple operator failure. Regardless of the cause, the crude oil is beginning to reach the United States coastline, and a guaranteed fix for the leak is nowhere in sight. In today's technologically advanced world, when a disaster like this occurs it is the responsibility of those involved to do what is ethically right, and to immediately take action with all available resources without "pointing fingers".
In recent times environmental pollution has been an issue of major concern for most developed countries, because of the relevance of the environment for the survival of man. The main cause of oil spillage in the Niger Delta occurs in the process of oil transport. The first major
The plant-derived materials from mosses, duckweeds and other plant species are suitable for immobilization of microorganisms and preserve their viability for a longer time. In the present work the bioremediation performance of a new type of bio-hybrid material constituted by the mix of dry biomass of duckweed plants (Wolffia arrhiza, Lemna minuscula) and their biomass-derived cell-structured materials (CSM) incorporated in a non-woven polymer matrix of methyl methacrylate-acrylonitrile and hydrocarbon degrading bacteria immobilized on its surface. On comparison the crude oil biodegradation capacities of the new BHM and assessment of the combined effect of the plant material incorporation and immobilization of oil-degrading bacteria cells on the performance of these materials. These materials turned to be highly capable of oil absorption from sea water and, more importantly, facilitated significantly the biodegradation of the absorbed oil (Lobakoa, 2016).