Interfacially Active Hydroxylated Soybean Lecithin Dispersant for Crude Oil Spill Remediation

Abstract

Chemical dispersant application is one of the universally accepted oil spill response options. However, some concerns regarding the toxicity of chemical dispersants have been raised. The toxicity of the chemical dispersant can be reduced by using environmentally benign and biodegradable surfactants and water in their formulation. In this work, we have examined the ability of dispersants formulated with hydroxylated soybean lecithin solubilized in water to disperse crude oil. Soybean lecithin was fractionated and deoiled. The deoiled soybean lecithin was hydroxylated and solubilized in water to form the dispersant. The oil-in-water emulsion formed with the hydroxylated soybean lecithin dispersant was stable over a longer period of time and had smaller and more regular shaped oil droplets than the unhydroxylated soybean lecithin. The interfacial activity of the formulated dispersants was also examined. Generally, the interfacial activity of the soybean lecithin was improved through hydroxylation. Using the ...