How Do Oil Dispersants Work?
C-130 Dropping Dispersant in the Gulf Technical Sergeant Adrian Cadiz via WikipediaTo help understand, consider your kitchen sink While the world waits to see if a "top kill" operation can seal off the devastating Deepwater Horizon oil leak in the Gulf-the staggering proposition of dealing with the more than 11 million gallons spilled to date remains. To combat the massive slick, BP's primary weapon is chemical oil dispersant. BP has already used an unprecedented amount of dispersant-over 840,000 gallons-and is poised to deploy more. So what exactly does oil dispersant do? The good news, if there is any, is that crude oil is largely biodegradable. It is made of dinosaurs, after all, and naturally occurring bacteria and other underwater microorganisms will feed on crude oil. The trouble is that oil's cohesive properties-the same qualities that make oil-coated measuring cups a pain to wash-mean a vast oil slick like...