Gulf Oil Spill

Gulf Spill In the wake of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, about thirty percent of the oil, and "the most volatile fraction" of it, evaporated in a period of about ten hours (Handwerk, 2011). This was the primary aerosol emanation Another ten to twenty percent evaporated over the course of the next few days, and those turned into a wide plume of aerosol that was later identified as being comprised of intermediate or semi-volatile organic compounds (Xie, 2011).

This secondary aerosol was composed of both light and heavy types of hydrocarbons, which have contributed to air pollution over a wide area (Handwerk, 2011). Ironically, the pattern of aerosol evaporation from the oil spill has advanced scientific understanding of how secondary aerosols form after the initial chemical conversion from their most volatile compounds (Xie, 2011). According to the EPA (2014), in addition to volatile organic compounds, the oil spill released specific compounds like hydrogen sulfide and also coarse particulate matter.

The earth's atmosphere is uniform in composition until 80k, except for the differences in ozone composition in two distinct places: the stratosphere and closer to the surface. Stratospheric ozone exists at 20-30k, and provides a natural barrier between life on earth and ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Close to the surface and within breathing range is ozone accumulation due to volatile carbon-based compounds like those released in the spill (Stewart, 2005).

Within six months of the spill, upwards of 8000 birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals were found injured or dead, not including fish (National Wildlife Federation, 2014). Specific injuries included oil inundation of birds, preventing them from being able to fly and therefore feed themselves or avoid predation; the ingestion of oil, leading to poisoning; the weighting down of turtles in oil, and the devastation of corals within a seven mile radius of the spill (National Wildlife Federation, 2014).

Longer term impacts are equally as severe including sick dolphins, stranded turtles, and declining fish populations (National Wildlife Federation, 2014). Cleaning up oil spills like the one by BP involves a number of different processes, depending on the nature of the contamination and the situational and environmental variables. Bioremediation refers to the use of microorganisms, plants, fungi, and natural nutrients to help metabolize the pollutant (Radermacher, n.d.). Although far from ideal, bioremediation can be one tool in the cleanup arsenal.

Other methods include the use of booms to contain the spill and prevent it from spreading, the use of skimmers, as well as burning. New regulations and safety measures for drilling have followed since the BP disaster. The regulations include the design and engineering of the wells themselves, and the design and materials used in the support structures ("U.S. finalizes offshore drilling rules inspired by BP oil spill," 2014). Other measures include the use of blowout preventers, containment procedures, stricter emergency preparedness practice drills, and third party testing.

As the world runs out of oil, the demand for new technologies becomes pressing. Alternatives to fossil fuels are viable solutions, but diversification is the key. There is no one energy technology that can be used for all needs, including electricity generation, fuels for vehicles, and fuels needed for manufacturing. Moreover, fossil fuels are used directly in plastics manufacturing. This warrants a complete and radical transformation of product design, marketing, and engineering.

I would recommend that the world's most innovative companies take the lead by developing new technologies and solutions that best suit their industry rather than trying to come up with a solution that will miraculously replace fossil fuels in all their applications.