Approximately 3 million gallons of oil or refined petroleum products are spilled into U.S. waters every year. Oil dispersants (chemical agents such as surfactants, solvents, and other compounds) are used to reduce the effect of oil spills by changing the chemical and physical properties of the oil. By enhancing the amount of oil that physically mixes into the water, dispersants can reduce the potential that a surface slick will contaminate shoreline habitats. Although called for in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 as a tool for minimizing the impact of oil spills, the use of chemical dispersants has long been controversial. This book reviews the adequacy of existing information and ongoing research regarding the effectiveness of dispersants as an oil spill response technique, as well as the effect of dispersed oil on marine and coastal ecosystems. Oil Spill Dispersants also includes recommended steps for policy makers faced with making hard choices regarding the use of dispersants as part of spill contingency planning efforts or during actual spills.
Committee on Understanding Oil Spill Dispersants: Efficacy and Effects, National Research Council
1 Front Matter; 2 Executive Summary; 3 1 Introduction; 4 2 Making Decisions About Dispersant Use; 5 3 Dispersant-Oil Interactions and Effectiveness Testing; 6 4 Transport and Fate; 7 5 Toxicological Effects of Dispersants and Dispersed Oil; 8 6 Research Priorities to Support Dispersant Use Decision-Making; 9 References; 10 Appendix A: Committee and Staff Biographies; 11 Appendix B: Dispersant Authorizations; 12 Appendix C: Acronyms; 13 Appendix D: Definitions and Unit Conversions; 14 Appendix E: Analysis of the Sensitivity of Dispersed Oil Behavior to Various Processes
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and Medicine National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, National Academy of Engineering, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, National Materials and Manufacturing Board, Committee on Connector Reliability for Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Operations
and Medicine National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Board on Environmental Change and Society, Ocean Studies Board, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, Committee on Long-Term Coastal Zone Dynamics: Interactions and Feedbacks Between Natural and Human Processes Along the U.S. Gulf Coast
and Medicine National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Ocean Studies Board, Committee on the Evaluation of the Use of Chemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response
and Medicine National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Ocean Studies Board, Committee on the Evaluation of the Use of Chemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response
Institute of Medicine, Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Committee to Review the Federal Response to the Health Effects Associated with the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
and Medicine National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Board on Environmental Change and Society, Ocean Studies Board, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, Committee on Long-Term Coastal Zone Dynamics: Interactions and Feedbacks Between Natural and Human Processes Along the U.S. Gulf Coast
National Research Council, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Ocean Studies Board, Committee on the Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Mississippi Canyon-252 Oil Spill on Ecosystem Services in the Gulf of Mexico
and Medicine National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, National Academy of Engineering, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, National Materials and Manufacturing Board, Committee on Connector Reliability for Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Operations
Institute of Medicine, Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Committee to Review the Federal Response to the Health Effects Associated with the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill, Margie Patlak, Abigail Mitchell, Lynn Goldman