"Reducing Oil Spill Contamination of Marine Life:

Using Synthetic Fiber as Effective Absorbent Pads"

“Summary”
The term "oil spill" describes the unintentional or intentional release of huge

amounts of liquid petroleum hydrocarbons into the Ocean. Although oil spills can

happen on land, they are usually linked to events that take place in marine

settings, such as oceans, seas, or rivers. Oil spill in the ocean is a major issue since

the 1960s, it is hazardous to marine animals since it stops sunlight to penetrate

the sea thereby killing marine life due to hypothermia. The spilling of oil on the

ocean had numerous disadvantages, such as the death of marine life, and even

demolish their habitat. And since oil had been spilled on the ocean, humans may

also be affected by pausing commercial fishing and causing fishermen to lose jobs.

Using absorbent pads made from synthetic fibers can help which can seriously

affect marine creatures.

Background and problem

Oil spillage is one of the causes of water pollution. It has raised major concerns

for the public as well as the living creatures in the ocean. Industrialization and

modernization take place almost all over the world, making energy and fuel a

must-have in countries. With the rapid development of the world, pollution is

always present in this improvement. Oil spills have been frequented since the

development. Oil spills mostly happen because of accidents involving tankers,

collisions between ships, drilling rigs, and storage facilities. Marine life is at stake

every time oils are scattered into the seas. Birds, for example, consume these oils

and are poisoned when they are cleaning themselves. Another example is fish and

shellfish, when they digest this poison, it will eventually lead them to death. It will

also affect humans. Because of this problem, the seafood supply will lessen and

the people's health is also affected. The economy will drop as the oils are wasted

and the seafood production is endangered.

Beneficiaries:

Oil spill on the sea is a major Contributor to the destruction of planet Earth since it

demolishes the habitat of marine life and pollutes the ocean. Since 1972 around 32 billion

gallons of toxic waste and oil have been intentionally or mistakenly dumped on the environment

and affecting humans and causing respiratory damage, liver damage, and decreased immunity.

Thereby, it’s crucial to either reduce oil spills or completely ban them, but such action might

affect a nation’s economy, for that reason, we proposed a synthetic fiber product to absorb oil

spills from the ocean.

 Reducing oil spills benefits the environment, since oil spills had been reduced, marine

animals wouldn’t die of waste anymore.

 It also benefits marine animals, since aquatic and their habitat wouldn’t be polluted any

more.

 It will also benefit fishermen because fisher will not perish due to toxic waste, and

wouldn’t also restrict commercial fishing.

 Our economy wouldn’t be affected as well, since commercial fishing isn’t affected, the

subsector of agriculture continues to contribute to our economy.

 Our food supply wouldn’t be affected

PROPOSED SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM PRESENTED:

Oil spills can significantly affect marine life, contaminate the environment, and harm the ecology. Marine

oil spills can have a significant financial impact on operations along the coast and on people who use marine

resources (Saadoun, 2015). In order to lessen the impact of oil spills on marine life, synthetic fiber absorbent mats

are a viable option. Products made from oil sorbent fibers based on polypropylene have been discovered to be

mostly used to clean up oil spills (Rengasamy & Karan, 2011). These specially created pads have strong oil-

absorption capacities and affinity, enabling them to quickly and thoroughly absorb up spilt oil from the water's

surface. They are frequently built from materials like polypropylene or polyethylene. Synthetic fiber absorbent

mats avoid direct contact with marine species while swiftly confining and absorbing the oil, lowering the danger of

coating, ingestion, and internal harm. Their use makes it easier to quickly remove oil from impacted regions, aiding

in habitat restoration and reducing long-term ecological effects. In the event of an oil spill, synthetic fiber

absorbent pads are a useful tool because they provide a practical and efficient way to save marine life from the

harmful effects of oil contamination.

Given their environmental friendliness and local abundance, mineral minerals readily produced in Greece can

partially replace commercial synthetic sorbents for oil spill clean-up operations (Teas et al., 2001). As a way to

lessen the contaminating effects of oil spills on marine life, synthetic absorbent pads have proven to be remarkably

successful. They quickly contain spilt oil thanks to their great absorption capacity, stopping its spread and reducing

direct contact with marine life. These pads can be used in a variety of spill scenarios because of their quick

response time and adaptability. Their simplicity in deployment and removal accelerates cleanup activities, and their

compatibility with the environment guarantees that damage to marine habitats is kept to a minimum. Synthetic

absorbent pads have been shown to be extremely successful at protecting marine life and reducing the disastrous

effects of oil spill contamination.

In conclusion, synthetic absorbent pads provide a highly effective and useful answer to the problem of oil spills

contaminating marine life. The most often used products for oil spill cleanup are conventional synthetic sorbents
(Zamparas et al., 2020). They are effective tools for reducing the effects of oil spills on marine ecosystems because

of their high absorption capacity, rapid response times, adaptability, and environmental compatibility.

1 layer polyester synthetic cloth

Materials Procedure

Step 1. Cut the synthetic polyester cloth to the

required rectangle or square dimension.

 Fabric (1 yard of polyester synthetic fabric)- Step 2. Make sure the pads are big enough to

22 pesos (per yard) contain and absorb the oil spill properly.

 Scissors – 25 pesos Step 3. Only use one layer of synthetic polyester

cloth

Step 4. After using the pad, let it dry in a well-

ventilated area

Step 5. Place the pad on the sealable plastic bag or

container, Label the container “used oil absorbent

pad”, and Burry it on the ground (6ft)

Conclusion: Very little oil will be absorbed.

 3-layer polyester synthetic cloth

Materials Procedure

 Needle and thread – 42 to 188 pesos Step 1. Cut the synthetic polyester cloth to the

(depending on the sewing kit set) required rectangle or square dimension.

 Fabric (1 yard of polyester synthetic fabric)- Step 2. Make sure the pads are big enough to

22 pesos (per yard) contain and absorb the oil spill properly.

 Scissors – 25 pesos Step 3. The polyester synthetic cloth should be

layered in three layers. Use a needle and thread to

sew the layers together. The layers will be held

together by this, preventing their separation

during use.

Step 4. After using the pad, let it dry in a well-

ventilated area

Step 5. Place the pad on the sealable plastic bag or

container, Label the container “used oil absorbent

pad”, and Burry it on the ground (6ft)

Conclusion: more oil in the water will be absorbed compared to 1 layer of
polyester synthetic cloth

6 Layers of polyester synthetic cloth

Materials Procedure

 Needle and thread – 42 to 188 pesos (depending Step 1. Cut the synthetic polyester cloth to the required

on the sewing kit set) rectangle or square dimension.

 Fabric (1 yard of polyester synthetic fabric)-22 Step 2. Make sure the pads are big enough to contain

pesos (per yard) and absorb the oil spill properly.

 Scissors – 25 pesos Step 3. The polyester synthetic cloth should be layered

in six layers. Use a needle and thread to sew the layers

together. The layers will be held together by this,

preventing their separation during use.

Step 4. After using the pad, let it dry in a well-ventilated

area

Step 5. Place the pad on the sealable plastic bag or

container, Label the container “used oil absorbent pad”,

and Burry it on the ground (6ft)

Conclusion: More oil will be absorbed compared to the previous layer of polyester synthetic
cloth
Methods/Details of the proposed solution:

Objective:

 Reduce the pollution of oil

 Contribute to saving marine animals

 Reduce the effect of toxic waste on humans’

 Help to a clean environment

 Security of public health

Material:

 Needle and thread – 42 to 188 pesos (depending on the sewing kit set)

 Fabric (1 yard of polyester synthetic fabric)-22 pesos (per yard)

 Scissors – 25 pesos

Procedure:

Step 1. Cut the synthetic polyester cloth to the required rectangle or square

dimension.
Step 2. Make sure the pads are big enough to contain and absorb the oil spill

properly.

Step 3. The polyester synthetic cloth should be in six layers.

Step 4. Use a needle and thread to sew the layers together. The layers will be held

together by this, preventing their separation during use.

Step 5. After using the pad, let it dry in a well-ventilated area

Step 6. Place the pad on the sealable plastic bag or container

Step 7. Label the container “used oil absorbent pad”

Step 8. Burry it on the ground (6ft)

ILLUSTRATION:

References:
Summary:

https://www.itopf.org/fileadmin/uploads/itopf/data/Documents/TIPS_TAPS_new/TIP_11_Effects_of_Oil_Pollution_on_Fisheries_and_Mariculture.pdf

Background and Problem:

https://www.noaa.gov/explainers/oil-spills-major-marine-ecosystem-threat#:~:text=How%20and%20where%20do%20oil%20spills%20happen%3F,-Accidents%20big%20and&text=are%20the%20source-,Oil%20spills%20that

%20happen%20in%20rivers%2C%20bays%20and%20the%20ocean,recreational%20boats%20and%20in%20marinas.

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2018/ra/c8ra05420g#cit1

Beneficiaries

https://amazonfrontlines.org/chronicles/health-oil/#:~:text=Studies%20of%20biomarkers%20have%20uncovered,(hydrocarbons%20and
%20heavy%20metals).

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2018-01/documents/ospguide99.pdf

Proposed solution:

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/48738

https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/51563348/Oil_Sorption-_PP__Kapok___Milkweed_Fibers-libre.pdf?1485836439=&response-content-disposition=inline
%3B+filename%3DStudy_of_oil_sorption_behavior_of_filled.pdf&Expires=1685072089&Signature=RywT9XBkfdq4YWarpaLin6SmbR4wyQgjWLDtT-
Wbu4mexeL7L4uoa7FIxhOwspokkXFhY55NkEgbeixhQ-AWAn3etoYlSBLxqNYLPU1r4stPxw-uu8CY-a-
DVuj8l9IZSZ3FqK~eTrPiF9bU2QdHM7AtVgNbq4pUfNrnJJylSMypjlgUoWypr9DzKWwVD3WiNmTvKA2o0ZleIGRyg5WZAEfqoLbm8OW-
ASUzgWBSL66bgAXQhbb1sobPA4I1sFkoRo26Rg1sYwUc6unabRwBkynv4RJZhhiHla5ws1uC0B~6KUHlD1WFPEHAik9G7xEdK3gZ-x~zMe3vErWT2IZI5g__&Key-Pair-
Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stamatis-Kalligeros/publication/
244143003_Investigation_of_the_Effectiveness_of_Absorbent_Materials_in_Oil_Spills_Clean_Up/links/565dbd0608ae4988a7bcea2f/Investigation-of-the-
Effectiveness-of-Absorbent-Materials-in-Oil-Spills-Clean-Up.pdf

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/19/4522