Combat Oil Spills Research Articles

The Legal Challenges of Combating Oil Spillage in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria grapples with persistent challenges related to oil spillages posing significant environmental, social, and economical risks. Despite numerous efforts to address this issue, various legal hurdles impede the effective combating of oil spills in the region. The problem of this research, therefore, is, why is that oil spillage in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria has continued unabated despite the numerous legal and institutional frameworks put in place for combating oil spillages in the Niger Delta. The aim of this research then is to examine the legal challenges of combating oil spillages in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. To achieve this, the researcher adopted the doctrinal research method. This method is the use of both primary and secondary resource materials in dealing with the subject matter under investigation. The researcher discovered that corruption and lack of transparency is one of the major reasons why oil spillage in the region continues unabated. It is therefore recommended that anti-corruption measures and enhanced transparency within regulatory agencies by adopting digital tracking systems for monitoring oil spill incidence should be established. This research has contributed to knowledge because it has affirmed that identification of jurisdictional complexities which impede the effectiveness of regulation and enforcement of oil activities in the Niger Delta region is a clog to the legal framework for combating oil spill in the region.

Vitalizing logistics strategies for Tiksi Port using the interpretive structural modelling method

Tiksi Port is a Russian seaport located on the Laptev Sea shore in the Central Arctic region and holds potential as a crucial and versatile hub for the improvement of the Eastern Arctic sector. It is one of the main ports on the Northern Sea Route and can potentially become the primary point for transporting various types of cargo. Currently, Tiksi Port is shallow and incapable of receiving large sea vessels and although it was initially equipped with handling equipment, signs of decline are visible. This study aims to identify the critical logistics elements of Tiksi Port and classify them according to their level of significance in vitalizing the logistics activities of the port for further practical use. Interpretive Structural Modelling and the Matrix of Cross Impacts Multiplication Applied to a Classification (MICMAC) method was used in this study. The study findings revealed ten factors that appeared at three levels of importance. According to the analysis results, “combating oil spills” was present at Level 3, which is the first and most fundamental level to be improved. Tiksi Port officials and government ministries can use these results as a reference for development and to support the establishment of a cost-effective and agile logistics system for related companies.

A Composite Magnetosensitive Sorbent Based on the Expanded Graphite for the Clean-Up of Oil Spills: Synthesis and Structural Properties

Oil spills necessitate the development of effective methods for preventing their damaging effects on the environment. A number of physical, chemical, thermal, and biological methods are used to combat oil spills. Among them, sorption is considered to be efficient in removing thin oil films from water surfaces. Currently, there is an urgent need for simple methods of obtaining oil sorbents that include a magnetosensitive component to optimize the process of removing oil from the water surface. The purpose of the work is to obtain and research oil sorbents resistant to destruction, with increased bulk density and complex magnetosensitivity, based on thermally expanded graphite (TEG) with the inclusion of micro- and nano-particles of iron and its oxides. The structure and composition of the new composite material was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and laser diffraction particle sizing. The composite sorbent comprised TEG with the inclusion of iron-containing magnetosensitive particles. Metal-carbon nanoparticles (MCN) were used as the magnetosensitive component; they had a magnetosensitive iron core covered with a carbon shell. We used two methods of synthesis, namely (i) mechanical mixing of the TEG flakes and MCN particles, and (ii) applying a thermal shock (microwave processing) to the mixture of graphite intercalated with sulphuric acid and micro- and nanoparticles of iron and iron oxides. In the first case, MCN particles were fixed on the faces, edges, and other surface defects of the TEG flakes due to intermolecular forces, coordinate bonds, and electrostatic interaction. The strong adhesion of magnetosensitive iron/iron oxide and TEG particles in the second case was due to the mutual dissolution of iron and carbon components during the thermal shock, which formed an interfacial layer in which iron carbide is present. The presence of magnetosensitive components in the structure of the proposed oil sorbents allows the use of magnetic separation for the localization and removal of oil spills, increases the density of sorbents, and, accordingly, leads to a decrease in windage while retaining the advantageous properties of thermally expanded graphite. According to the results of laboratory studies, the efficiency of removing oil from the water surface is not lower than 95–96%.

Possible environmental solutions to oil spills in the Black Sea due to the Russian invasion (on the examples of the U.S. and international experience dealing with oil spills)

The Black Sea is an inland sea, that is basically isolated from the World Ocean. Even though it is connected only with the Mediterranean Sea through the Turkish Straits, the Black Sea is very environmentally vulnerable. Armed conflict invariably has a negative impact on nature. Oil spills that happened because of Russian invasion have radically changed the ecosystems of the Black Sea, and subsequently seriously threatened its biodiversity, and ecosystem as a whole. During the last 20-30 years, even before the full-scale Russian invasion, specialists of the Ukrainian Scientific Center for Marine Ecology, together with the EMBLAS project, were deeply worried about changes in the Black Sea [1].
 Even more rapid change in the Black Sea ecosystem happened in June 2022 when Russian forces used two anti-ship missiles to target an abandoned cargo tanker adrift in the northern Black Sea. The vessel was loaded with around 600 tons of diesel fuel. The abandoned tankers, with thousands of barrels of diesel fuel, constituted an “environmental time bomb [2].” 
 As to the existing framework, in 1992, six coastal countries (Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine) signed and ratified the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea from Pollution. Since then, the Black Sea Pollution Protection Commission has been responsible for the sustainable management of the Black Sea. The real effectiveness of this Commission turned out to be very low considering the fact that not a single act was adopted for the preservation of the Black Sea in terms of Russian invasion since February 24th 2022.
 Indeed, there is some legal protection for nature under the laws of armed conflict too, although these laws are ambiguous and have strict limitations. For instance, there is a set of Draft Principles for environmental preservation in relation to armed conflict, which was just adopted by the UN International Law Commission. 
 Thus, in the absence of adequate international mechanisms to address oil spills immediately, it is worth to take into account well established US Response System as the federal government mechanism to respond to discharges of oil into navigable waters of the US. While this system functions through a cooperative network of federal, state, and local agencies, Ukraine lacks this coordinated cooperation, and cannot respond properly to the significant contamination of the Black Sea.
 Thus, we will reveal the existing international mechanisms to combat oil spills. Then, we will mainly focus on US Governing policies that deal with oil spills on the Exxon Valdez oil spill example, applying it to the existing policies in Ukraine.

Sustainable treatment of sewage sludge via plasma-electrolytic liquefaction for bio-friendly production of polyurethane foam

Safe and green disposal or utilization of sewage sludge (SS) has attracted significant attention as SS is increasingly produced worldwide and emerges as an environmental burden if without proper treatment. In this study, efficient and sustainable treatment of SS was achieved using plasma-electrolytic liquefaction (PEL) with alkaline catalysts including sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), and sodium acetate (NaAc) and renewable solvents including polyethylene glycol (PEG) 200 and glycerol. Furthermore, the obtained bio-oil with abundant hydroxyl groups could partially replace polyols derived from fossil energy to synthesize bio-based polyurethane foams (BPUFs) for oil adsorption. The results showed that the Na2CO3 catalyst exhibited better performance and yielded bio-oil with a higher heating value (HHV) of 26.26 MJ/kg, very low nitrogen content (0.14%) and metal ions, and a nearly neutral pH of 7.41, under the optimized conditions. Compared with conventional oil bath liquefaction, PEL can significantly improve the liquefaction efficiency, promote the transfer of metal ions in SS to the solid residue (SR), and facilitate the transfer of nitrogen to the gas phase and SR, thereby upgrading the bio-oil to a certain extent. The BPUFs showed excellent oil adsorption capacity, reusability, and desorption and can play an important role in combating oil spills. The PEL method may provide a green avenue for SS valorization and the comprehensive utilization of the obtained products.

Legacy and dispersant influence microbial community dynamics in cold seawater contaminated by crude oil water accommodated fractions

Dispersants, used for combating oil spills, increase hydrocarbon bioavailability promoting their biodegradation. Oil weathering process introduces harmful soluble hydrocarbons, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), into the water column, resulting in water-accommodated fraction (WAF). The presence of dispersants can influence the weathering process by increasing PAHs solubility, toxicity and biodegradability. However, little is known on how dispersants affect microbial communities and their degradation capacities, especially in cold environment where low temperature decreases microbial activity and thus hydrocarbon degradation. Here, we investigated the microbial community dynamics in cold water contaminated by WAF prepared from crude oil with or without a commercial dispersant (Finasol OSR52).The WAFs, prepared with Naphthenic North Atlantic crude oil, were used to contaminate seawater from Norwegian cold sites, one oil-contaminated and the other pristine. The WAF-contaminated seawaters were maintained in microcosms at 4 °C for 21 days. The content of PAHs and microbial compositions (16S rRNA gene sequencing) were determined at days 0, 7, 14 and 21. In addition, the 96 h toxicity assay with adult Acartia tonsa revealed WAFs toxicity at days 0 and 21.The toxicity of WAF mixtures, with and without dispersant, against Acartia tonsa was reduced during the experiment, but PAHs removal was not increased. The water from the oil-contaminated site showed the highest PAHs removal revealing legacy effect (presence of microorganisms adapted to PAHs). Additionally, our results reveal: i) microbial community plasticity allowing the adaptation to the presence of PAHs and dispersant, ii) specific bacteria taxa probably involved in PAHs degradation, and iii) dispersants shape the microbial communities dynamics by stimulating potential dispersant-degrading taxa, such as Fusibacter. Thus, our results provide valuable insights on the role of microbial community in determining the fate of water-solubilized hydrocarbon in cold environment while questioning the role of dispersant used for fighting oil spill.

Effectiveness and Toxicity of Chemical Dispersant in Oil Spill Aquatic Environment

Pollution of the marine ecosystem by crude oil spill endangers marine species. The use of chemical dispersants in removing spilled oil from the marine environment by forming oil-in-water emulsions proves to be relatively effective, but the effectiveness is influenced by a number of factors. However, the successful use of these dispersants depends, to a great extent, on the toxicity of the oil-dispersant mixture that forms when dispersants are applied to combat oil spills. In this review, the type and quantity of dispersant used were reported to influence the toxicity of the oil-dispersant mixture on aquatic organisms relative to both the crude oil and the dispersant. The viscosity of oil, the salinity of water and the quantity of dispersants used were discussed as major factors influencing the effectiveness of dispersants. With contrasting results in assessing the overall toxicity of oil-dispersant mixtures on marine life, recommendations were suggested at the end of this review.

The Formulation, Development and Application of Oil Dispersants

Oil spills in open waters pose a significant threat to marine life. The application of dispersant as an oil-spill response is a promising approach to minimize the environmental burden caused by these accidental events. Dispersants have been accepted and applied by many countries around the world as a countermeasure in responding to oil spills due to their great success and advancements in recent years. This review covers different approaches for design and development of chemical formulas of oil dispersants with the aim to improve dispersing efficiencies, followed by formulating non-chemical dispersants, which are more environmentally friendly approaches. The encouraging properties motivate scientific communities to research and develop these non-chemical-based dispersants. In general, this review intends to offer a multi-perspective overall picture of progress made in recent years to develop and apply different dispersants suitable for combating oil spills.

Oil Spill Combat Strategy & Lesson Learnt of Balikpapan Spill

Among many discussions on effective response strategies during oil spill response operations at sea, this paper elaborates comprehensive information on oil spill combat strategy and lesson learnt from Balikpapan Spill incident. The author tries to shown the effectiveness of assessment and surveillance prior to oil spill response operation, oil spill response strategies and monitoring after oil spill response operation. The paper point out strategies used by OSCT Indonesia as National Oil Spill Response Organization on responding the oil spill incident. Focusing on taking tactical response according to experience gained from previous oil spill incident, the paper also mentions the importance of unified command between local authorities and company for easier coordination. Other than strategies and effective response, wildlife response become one of the difficulties faced onsite the field due to diverse wildlife and lack of wildlife response knowledge and trained experts. Learn from this recent oil spill experience, may enrich the knowledge on responding to such oil spill incident at similar condition and area.

Simulation of Wave Mixing of Surface Layers in the Sea Area

A problem of surface waves simulation is considered there in the context of combating oil spills. Being independent of waves penetrating into water, oil is disposed in sea as floating surface slicks and as drops suspended in water thickness. An oil surface slick incurs of transferring by wind and current actions, on the one hand, and of a variety of transforming processes, on the other hand. Gravitational spreading is one of the most influent transforming processes for oil on the sea surface. Among physical problems, there are dynamics of thin films of petroleum products on the sea surface and the need to consider moving on the waved sea-atmosphere border. The oil penetration into the water thickness occurs during the dispersion process --- of the transfer of oil from the water surface to the water phase as a result of wave collapse. The carried away oil splits into drops of different sizes which spread and diffuse into the water thickness. The factors such as droplet size, buoyancy, and turbulence affect dispersion stability. The main sources of dispersion energy are collapsing waves formed by wind on the surface of a water body. We suggest using a 2D surface wave model based on the dynamics of interacting particles. In contrast to complex hydrodynamic and spectral models, that makes it possible to estimate quite simply and effectively the proportion of dispersed oil pollution carried from the surface to the depth of the sea area.

Superhydrophobic modification of cellulose sponge fabricated from discarded jute bags for oil water separation

Recent oil spills endanger the aquatic ecosystem besides huge loss of natural resources, hence require immediate attention. To develop economical solution for combating oil spills, discarded jute bags, with 60–65% cellulose were used to fabricate cellulose sponge using sol-gel method followed by freeze drying. The sponge surface was rendered superhydrophobic by dip coating with Tetraethyl-orthosilicate/Hexadecyltrimethoxy Silane (TEOS/HDTMS). The pristine and dip coated hydrophobic cellulose sponge (DHCS) were characterized for structure, morphology and hydrophobicity. FE-SEM confirmed the hydrophobic coating of TEOS/HDTMS on sponge surface, while superhydrophobicity was established with static contact angle of 151°. DHCS exhibited oil water separation efficiency of 98.5% and 97.2% and equilibrium adsorption efficiency of 35.55 g/g and 31.37 g/g for diesel oil and motor oil, respectively. The adsorption follow pseudo-second order kinetics with regression coefficients, R2 > 0.99. Equilibrium studies indicated that the Freundlich isotherm was best fit isotherm for oil water removal by DHCS. DHCS displayed significant recyclability with slight reduction of adsorption capacity to 85.2% for diesel oil and 82.5% for motor oil of its initial value after 10 cycles.

Comparative toxicity assessment of in situ burn residues to initial and dispersed heavy fuel oil using zebrafish embryos as test organisms

In situ burning (ISB) is discussed to be one of the most suitable response strategies to combat oil spills in extreme conditions. After burning, a highly viscous and sticky residue is left and may over time pose a risk of exposing aquatic biota to toxic oil compounds. Scientific information about the impact of burn residues on the environment is scarce. In this context, a comprehensive ISB field experiment with approx. 1000L IFO 180 was conducted in a fjord in Greenland. The present study investigated the toxicity of collected ISB residues to early life stages of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model for potentially exposed pelagic organisms. The toxicity of ISB residues on zebrafish embryos was compared with the toxicity of the initial (unweathered) IFO 180 and chemically dispersed IFO 180. Morphological malformations, hatching success, swimming behavior, and biomarkers for exposure (CYP1A activity, AChE inhibition) were evaluated in order to cover the toxic response on different biological organization levels. Across all endpoints, ISB residues did not induce greater toxicity in zebrafish embryos compared with the initial oil. The application of a chemical dispersant increased the acute toxicity most likely due to a higher bioavailability of dissolved and particulate oil components. The results provide insight into the adverse effects of ISB residues on sensitive life stages of fish in comparison with chemical dispersant application.

A probabilistic model of decision making regarding the use of chemical dispersants to combat oil spills in the German Bight

Oil spills are one of the major threats to the marine environment in the German Bight (North Sea). In case of an accident, application of chemical dispersants would be one response option among others. Dispersion breaks oil slicks into small droplets which get then mixed into the water column. Removal of the oil from the water surface may reduce contamination of the coast. However, the window of opportunity for effective dispersant application is short and there are concerns about potential effects to the marine life. We propose a Bayesian network (BN) as an interactive and intuitive tool for responders to justify decisions on using chemical dispersants and possibly the provision of appropriate assets. The BN combines detailed sub-BNs for different criteria that govern the decision process. Expected drift trajectories are estimated based on comprehensive numerical ensemble simulations of hypothetical oil spills. Ecological impacts are represented prototypically, focusing on vulnerability of seabird concentrations to pollution in coastal areas. Dispersant effectiveness is estimated considering oil properties and weather conditions. Decision making is supposed to be based on expected satisfaction. The definition of what is considered satisfactory is of central importance for the whole analysis.

Black Sea Observing System

The ultimate goal of modern operational oceanography are end user oriented products with high scientific quality. Beneficiaries are the governmental services, coast and offshore based enterprises and research institutions that make use of the products generated by operational oceanography. Direct users are coastal managers, shipping, search and rescue, oil spill combat, offshore industry, ports, fishing, tourism and recreation industry. Indirect beneficiaries, through climate forecasting based on ocean observations, are food, energy, water and medical suppliers. Availability of updated information on the actual state as well as forecast of marine environment is essential for the success and safety of maritime operations in the offshore industry. Various systems for the collection and presentation of marine data for the needs of different users have been developed and put in operation in the Black Sea. The systems are located both along the coast and in the open sea and the information they provide is used by both the maritime industry and the widest range of users. The Black Sea Monitoring and Forecasting Centre in the frame of the Copernicus Marine Service is providing regular and systematic information about the physical state of the ocean, marine ecosystem and wave conditions in the Black Sea area, assimilating observations, keeping efficient operations, advanced technology and high quality modeling products. Combining and optimizing in-situ, remote sensing, modeling and forecasting into a Black Sea observing system is a task that has to be solved, and that will allow to get a more complete and comprehensive picture of the state of the marine environment as well as to forecast future changes of physical and biogeochemical state of the Black Sea and the Black Sea ecosystem.

Implications of using chemical dispersants to combat oil spills in the German Bight – Depiction by means of a Bayesian network

Application of chemical dispersants is one option for combatting oil spills, dispersing oil into the water column and thereby reducing potential pollution to coastal areas. Efficiency of dispersant application depends on oil characteristics, sea and weather conditions. Potential environmental impacts must also be taken into account. Referring to the German Bight region (North Sea), we show how probabilistic Bayesian network (BN) technology can integrate all these aspects to support contingency planning. Expected effects of chemical dispersion on oil spill drift paths are quantified based on comprehensive numerical ensemble simulations. Ecological impacts are represented just in simplified terms focusing on nearshore seabird distributions. The intuitive and interactive BN summarizes expected benefits from chemical dispersion depending on where and under which weather conditions a hypothetical pollution occurs.

Hydrophobicity-responsive engineered mesoporous silica nanoparticles: application in the delivery of essential nutrients to bacteria combating oil spills.

Facile chemical modification of mesoporous silica particles allows the production of gated reservoir systems capable of hydrophobicity-triggered release. Applied to the delivery of nutrients specifically to an oil phase, the systems developed have been shown to reliably assist the bacterial degradation of hydrocarbons. The gated system developed, made of C18 hydrocarbon chains, is demonstrated to be in a closed collapsed state in an aqueous environment, yet opens up through solvation by lipophilic alkanes and releases its content on contact with the oil phase.

Natural oil sorbents modification methods for hydrophobicity improvement

In recent years, accidental and intentional oil discharges have been occurred frequently during transportation, production, and refining, which results in severe negative impact on organisms and ecological environment. Among existing techniques for the removal of oil from water, the use of sorbents is generally considered to be one of the most efficient techniques. Moreover, the application of natural sorbent materials is an attractive method for combating oil spill pollution, mainly due to the lower costs, high effectiveness and their properties such as reusability, biodegradability and recovery. Hydrophobicity (oleophilicity) is one of the major determinants of sorbents properties influencing the effectiveness of oil sorption in the presence of water. In order to improve these properties, the surface of the sorbent is modified using chemical or physical treatment methods. The purpose of this study is to analyze sorbents modification methods in order to increase their hydrophobic-oleophilic characteristics for oil spills cleanup taking into account environmental aspects. In this research natural organic sorbent – moss was treated with hot water (80 °C and 100 °C), mercerized, coated with oil and oil in water emulsions with concentrations 10 % and 50 %. The test of diesel sorption capacity was performed to compare the hydrophobic properties of modified sorbents. The results of this research demonstrate that simple hot water and alkali treatments can alter the surface characteristics of plant fibers and improve absorption capacity.

The Model of Optimal Allocation of Maritime Oil Spill Combat Ships

The paper describes a two-stage method for optimizing the location of marine oil spill combat forces and assessing the costs related to this action at the sea. An optimization problem relates to positioning the oil pollution combat ships in ports in such a way that they are able combat the anticipated number of oil spills in certain positions in the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea area in the shortest possible time. The problem was classified as NP-hard; therefore, in the first stage, an evolutionary algorithm was applied. The main output of the model based on the evolutionary algorithm is the time of arrival of combat ships from the port to the oil spill area, as well as the costs of such operation; this is defined as the aim function. The first stage of the model does not simulate combat pollution action; therefore, the results obtained were treated as approximate. In the second stage, the several best allocations of oil spill response resources obtained in the first stage were used as input to a detailed simulation model of combat action. For each chosen allocation, a number of oil combat action simulations were carried out. The model can be used to create and verify oil pollution contingency plans, and finally increase the sustainability of sea and coastal areas.

Optimized Airborne Oil Spill Remote Sensing: POSEIDON, the Quantitative Approach

ABSTRACT Aerial surveillance is becoming a foundation on the overall oil spill response strategy due to the ability to plan and tactically position response resources in the optimal areas of oil migration. It takes a complete multitasking approach to effectively respond to oil spills. While much of the regulatory focus to date has been on the resources on the sea - vessels, skimmers, dispersants - the reality is that they are only one of the components and not necessarily the most important in combating oil spills. It is imperative to determine the location of oil that is most recoverable, and give quantitative information - thickness, volume, area, classification - whether day or night. Having the right information at the right time optimizes dramatically the use of all the response resources. And assess the effectiveness of the response and make an accurate natural resources damage assessment is critical and requires as well quantitative and timely information. In the past the main effort has been directed towards developing airborne sensors with enhanced spill monitoring capability. Recently, more and more attention has been paid to the automated processing of oil spill data acquired by integrated airborne sensor platforms. Automated processing and real time relay of immediately usable information to the Incident Command Center is critical during all phases of response. This paper focuses on advanced data processing and presents ways of improving the usability of airborne multi-sensor oil spill monitoring systems. In this context, is given an overview of currently existing oil spill remote sensing technology like infrared/ultraviolet line scanners, microwave radiometers, laser fluorosensors and radar system. The paper presents POSEIDON, a system for network-based real-time data acquisition, analysis and fusion of multi-sensor data. Also, a method for the distribution of oil spill data and related data products using web-based geographical information systems is described; automated generation of thematic maps of the oil spill scene along with their real-time web-based distribution is becoming more important in marine incident management.

DEVELOPMENT OF ABSORBENT TECHNOLOGY FOR OIL SPILL RECOVERY AND CLEANUP IN ARCTIC ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACT 2017-076 In this paper, we discuss a new class of i-PetroGel oil-superabsorbent technology that has shown a potential solution to the oil spill recovery and cleanup in arctic environments, based on the laboratory tests at Penn State and an open tank test at Ohmsett. This i-PetroGel material is formed by polyolefin polymers that are petroleum downstream products with similar oleophilic and hydrophobic properties of oil molecules. Apart from many oil sorbents based on adsorption, i-PetroGel absorbs oil by absorption (similar to Hydrogel absorbing aqueous solutions) and swells to a large volume. During Ohmsett testing, i-PetroGel flakes spread on top of the affected area showed effective transformation of Alaska North Slope (ANS) oil into a floating gel on the seawater surface, which was effectively recovered by an oleophilic drum skimmer and pumped to a storage tank. The recovered ANS oil-swelled adducts, containing <0.1 wt% water, exhibit similar distillation characteristics as the original ANS oil. Overall, this i-PetroGel technology could potentially provide a comprehensive solution for combating oil spills, with the goal to dramatically reduce the environmental impacts from oil spills and help recover one of the most precious natural resources. i-PetroGel exhibits a combination of desirable properties. ✓ High oil absorption capacity about 35–40 times by weight at 3 and 25 °C. ✓ Suitable to a broad range of hydrocarbons, including complex crude oils, refined oil products (gasolines, diesels, heating oils, etc.), and solvents (toluene, benzene, etc.). ✓ Fast kinetics in capturing the spilled oil. ✓ No detectable water absorption in i-PetroGel. ✓ The resulting oil/i-PetroGel adducts floating on water surface are recovered by skimmer. ✓ The recovered oil/i-Petrogel adducts can be refined as crude oil through standard refining processes. ✓ Cost effective. ✓ No secondary pollution.