Finding a Non-Petroleum Based Soap to Clean Animals

Affected by Oil Spills

Arsha Kishor

BACKGROUND METHODS RESULTS

Oil spills happen when liquid petroleum hydrocarbon is
released into the environment. The petroleum stops the animals’
coat from being able to insulate itself, and in most cases the
animal dies from hypothermia from being cold in the water for
so long. DAWN soap is the cleanser that is mainly used to clean
the petroleum off the animals. But DAWN itself is petroleum
based so it’s contributing to the need for petroleum. Finding a
new, gentle, non-petroleum cleanser is essential to help the
wildlife affected by oil spills. If there is an alternative, we can
help more animals while being conscious of what we are putting
into our oceans.
Method(s) The feathers that were cleaned with just water remained oily
Phase #1 Phase #2 and slippery because water isn’t a strong enough cleanser for oil
1. Gather the ingredients for soap 2 1. Get 4 bowls for the oil simulation
2. Pour 2 tablespoons of motor oil in the bowl with 1
and they are repelled by each other, so the water did not
2. Measure oils and put in bowl effectively clean the feathers. The soap made of shea
cup water
3. Melt oils until liquid mix together 3. Soak feathers in the bowl for 24 hours
butter(Soap #2) slightly cleaned the feather, but it remained
4. Mix the lye and water in a separate bowl until no clumps4. Remove from bowl and wash each feather with
designated soap or water sticky and was not effective. It removed less than 50% of motor
remain
5. Wash each feather for five minutes gently fuel. The feathers stuck together, and you would have to
5. Wait until then temperature of oils and lye are close 6. Pat dry and leave in a well-ventilated area for
together 24 hours separate each one. The soap that was made of mango
6. Pour lye into the oil bowl and mix gently 7. Check every hour to see how dry the feathers are butter(Soap #3) was a lot more effective than the previous soap.
7. Use hand mixer until the mixture becomes a thick paste 8. After the feathers are dry, assess any damage with It cleaned more than ¾ of oil and the only downside was the
a magnifying glass
8. Pour the mixture into the soap mold with space at the top9. Log your data feather remained yellow before washed once again with just
9. Cover the mold and wait 24 hours for soap to harden
water. The feather that was cleaned with the DAWN dish soap
10. Gently remove soap from the mold and let sit for 24 hours
was very white, but slightly rough and coarse. You could tell
11. Repeat for soap 3
This is my oilSetup
spill These are the various soaps used for cleaning the feathers. that it was more damaged than the other because although it felt
Experimental
simulation wet, it looked fully dry, which is a sign of damage.

EXERIMENTAL DESIGN
If the soaps are more lathering, they could be an effective cleanser for
helping animals affected by oil spills. CONCLUSIONS
• Independent variable: Soaps In conclusion, the mango butter soap could be used as an
• Dependent variable: Cleanliness of feathers
Effectiveness for each alternative to the DAWN soap, but it would have to be used
• Control: Water
• Hypothesis: If the soap has more lather, it will be more effective, but it
soap twice each time you cleanse. The DAWN soap would be used in
could damage the feather more urgent cases that deal with more oil, but the mango butter
MATERIALS should be used in less important cases where the animal has not
● Feathers Soap #2 Soap #3 been soaked in oil for a long period of time. The hypothesis was
• Coconut oil • Coconut oil correct because the two most lathering soaps were the most
● Magnifying glass
• Olive oil • Olive oil Figure 1: The feathers after Figure 2: The feathers after Figure 3: The feathers after
● DAWN dish soap • Avocado oil • Avocado oil
being soaked in oil for 24
hours
being washed with water being washed with water
(Trial 2)
effective and the one with most lather was more damaging yet
● Motor fuel • Shea butter • Sweet almond oil more effective.
● Water • Castor oil • Castor oil
• Lye • Mango butter
● Bowls
• Water • Palm oil
● Soap mold • Lye Figure 4: The feathers after Figure 5: The feathers after Figure 6: The feathers after
being soaked in oil for 24 being washed with the shea being washed with the shea
● Hand mixer • Water hours butter soap butter soap (Trial 2)
REFERENCES
● Eye protection • How oil harms animals and plants in marine environments. (2019, February 25).
● Gloves      Office of Response and Restoration. Retrieved December 1, 2020, from
     https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/oil-spills/
     how-oil-harms-animals-and-plants-marine-environments.html
• NOAA. (2020, March 11). How does oil impact marine life? National Ocean Service.
Figure 7: The feathers after Figure 8: The feathers after Figure 9: The feathers after
being soaked in oil for 24 being washed with the mango being washed with the mango      Retrieved December 1, 2020, from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/
hours butter soap butter soap (Trial 2)      oilimpacts.html#:~:text=Oil%20spills%20are%20harmful%20to,well%20as%20fish%20an%
     20shellfish.&text=Oil%20destroys%20the%20insulating%20ability,creatures%20to%20th
     e%20harsh%20elements.
• Shaw, K. (2019, September 2). The best cold process recipe. Heart's Content
     Farmhouse. Retrieved December 1, 2020, from
     https://heartscontentfarmhouse.com/making-cold-process-soap-for-the-shower/
Figure 10: The feathers after Figure 11: The feathers after Figure 12: The feathers after • All pictures were taken by Arsha Kishor
being soaked in oil for 24 being washed with the being washed with the