The oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico has been front page news for over a month now. Officials are still unable to clearly state how much oil is leaking out of the pipeline under the ocean while wildlife above and below the water struggle for survival. What we do know is this is the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. Red blobs of oil are seen floating on the water four miles from shore. Tar balls are washing up on the beaches and marshlands along the Louisiana coast.
The oil leak is in the minds of Americans along the eastern seaboard and all the way inland. Even young students are brainstorming ideas on how to stop the flow and help the environment. One fourth grade student at Walnut Hills Elementary turned her questions about the oil leak into her science fair project. She found that
With the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico growing everyday, people around the country are trying to find ways to clean it up. Just imagine if the solution to the spill was this simple: sprinkle a small amount of a non-toxic powder onto the layer of oil and in seconds the powder bonds to the oil, forming a sponge-like material that can be easily removed from the surface of the water.
It’s more than just a dream… a form of superabsorbent polymer technology is changing the way environmental scientists approach oil spill and waste management problems. Enviro-Bond 403 Polymer was created by Larry Thompson and bonds quickly and safely to liquid hydrocarbons including crude oil, diesel fuel and gasoline. The bonding is so complete that it literally encapsulates the liquid hydrocarbons in just seconds.
The oil begins to hook onto the dry polymer and turns it into something that can be picked up by a crane. The material can then be burned and used for energy and it doesn’t release any bad byproducts into the environment.
