Oil spills pose a serious direct threat to ocean marine ecosystems, requiring swift intervention to mitigate the risk. Chemical dispersants are one tool used in oil spill response efforts; these chemicals break oil down into small droplets that are diluted rapidly and persist in the water column for less time. However, scientists still don’t have a full picture of how effective these dispersants really are. Researchers led by Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences have now conducted tests validating the efficiency of oil dispersants under real-word conditions, allowing better preparation to respond to similar environmental disasters in the future.
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