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News Release 18-030

Sunlight reduces effectiveness of dispersants used to clean up oil spills

Scientists call for new look at chemical dispersants

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An aircraft applies dispersants over a slick of sunlight-weathered oil in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

An aircraft applies dispersants to a slick of sunlight-weathered oil in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

Credit: WHOI


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Workers loading chemical dispersants onto an airplane.

Workers load chemical dispersants for application to oil floating in the Gulf of Mexico.

Credit: WHOI


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Illustration of airplane dropping oil dispersants into a body of water.

Sunlight changes how well oil dispersants work on spills such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Credit: WHOI


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A photo of the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig on fire at the time of the spill.

The Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig on fire at the time of the spill.

Credit: Wikimedia


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Oil on the surface of ocean water.

Oil from the 2010 spill flowed toward the coast of Alabama, where it eventually washed ashore.

Credit: US DOD


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Oil on the sands of a beach.

Oil from the spill also washed ashore in Louisiana, shown here fouling a beach.

Credit: LA GOHSEP


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