Nanotechnology and Hair: The Unlikely Heroes of Oil Spill Clean-Up

Oil spills are one of the major ways that we pollute the planet, with around 706 million gallons of oil entering oceans every year. Oil spills can cause sealife to inhale toxins, become smothered, contract hypothermia, or drown. These are only the immediate consequences and do not include the lasting effects of crude oil derivatives that form with time. Traditional clean-up methods focus on containing the area and then use different methods to collect the oil from the surface of the water. Some new methods have recently been developed in this field, such as the use of nano-materials and human hair. 

But before we can talk about the new, we must talk about the traditional ways of dealing with oil spills. Some of the most common methods involve the use of skimmers, sorbents, and burning. 

Skimmers are dependent on oil boomers, which contain the oil spill to a specific area; however, boomers are confined to smaller spills and are sensitive to changing tides. The skimmers are then attached to boats and skim the surface of the water to collect the oil. The downside of skimmers is that when debris is present, it can clog the machine. Sorbents are also effective for smaller clean-ups as they absorb the oil, but can only hold a certain amount of it. Some organic sorbents also absorb water, and will eventually sink. The final method is burning, which is primarily used when the removal of oil is critical. The downside of this is that fumes are created by the burning oils, and its success is affected by waves and wind. 

These methods are tried and tested, but there is a need for more effective and speedy techniques. One of these techniques utilises nanoparticles, which can alter the binding ability of solids to liquids and can be used to separate shorelines and oil. This makes it easier to contain the harmful substance. Nanoparticles have also been used to form long fibres that create a gel-like network that floats on the surface of the water and can be collected by boats. Magnetic nanoparticles have also been used as alternative sorbents. Together with magnets, these have a higher absorption ability and last longer than traditional sorbents. 

Another promising new sorbent is human and animal hair. It has been used in clean-up mats for on-land oil spills and booms for ocean spills. The traditional way of cleaning up land spills is with mats made from polypropylene, which is a non-biodegradable plastic. This creates an unfortunate loop where more oil needs to be drilled to clean up the oil spilt from drilling. Matter of Trust is an organisation that produces these mats and booms out of donated hair and fur. Although they may not be as successful as nanoparticles, they are produced using renewable resources and are cost-effective. 

These are only two alternative ways of oil clean-up that have recently been researched. This is still an active field that needs to be researched and developed for large-scale use. Nanotechnology is a relatively new area of research that has potential, both independently and also in combination with bio-based solutions, such as hair sorbents. The biggest hindrance to effective oil spill clean-up is the lack of funding dedicated to developing new clean-up techniques. With more awareness, we can help resolve this issue and protect our oceans for future generations. 

Illustration by Janya Malkani