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MY SUGGESTED REMEDIES FOR GULF OIL SPILL CLEAN-UP-
EVERY BIT HELPS
By REVEREND BARBARA SEXTON
May 14, 2010
"The Biblical Biochemist-Where Science Meets the Cross"
Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved
There are a number of factors in the gulf oil clean-up which remind me of (albeit smaller) situations that I've encountered and dealt with in the drug and cosmetic manufacturing industries over the years, in the lab and 'in the field'. I've handled degreasing/cleaning/sampling/clean-up of a number of 'unctuous substances' all over the place, including in the wooded and populated areas surrounding various manufacturing and petrochemical storage areas. In other words, I am familiar with situations requiring "degreasing" and disposal of both innocuous and hazardous materials.
The first line in 'degreasing methods' is the physical removal of as much of the offending 'unctuous mass' as is possible, followed by the use of steam, hot water, hot water and detergent, volatile solvents, emulsifying agents, additional physical scrubbing and so forth. Sometimes, 'like-dissolves-like' technology is useful, as well. An example of this is using a lighter weight oil to cut through and clean up a heavier weight oil, if this is practicable.
Breaking it down to basics for the specific GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL SITUATION, here are my suggestions in no particular order: For obvious reasons, I've eliminated many of the usual chemicals and methods, as they are too toxic and or dangerous for use in this situation.
1) FOR THE 'FROZEN CRYSTAL PROBLEM'--Use microwave, laser and/or light optic fiber heating elements via a 'probe-type' apparatus that can be lowered down to the problem area, perhaps threaded inside the 'top hat' rigging if they can get one in place. Think of something like the catheters used during angioplasty with their various internal 'tools' and micro-lights inside of them.
The microwave, laser or optic fiber heating elements can also be rigged to a small submersible and guided to any problem areas. If they can get a camera down there (and they can), they can get a heat generator down there to 'melt' those crystals. Again, as with angioplasty medical devices, there should be an attendant 'suction /blower unit' to suck dislodged and/or melted crystals upward to the surface for clearance, or to 'swish them away', with an eye towards proper disposal later.
2) FOR GROSS SKIMMING OF OIL & OIL/DISPERSAL AGENT MIXES: I have two suggestions utilizing 'film technology'. We all know that many plastics carry a substantial surface 'electrostatic charge'. This property can be put to good use with the GULF OIL SPILL by the public as well as by the entities in charge of the clean-up. FOR THE PUBLIC: Get some heavy plastic line (polypropylene, polyethylene, preferably, as they are relatively 'innocuous' to the environment except for a 'wild life entrapment hazard'). Regular fishing line is usually PVC, polyvinyl chloride and that would do in a pinch, also. Get yourself a heavy duty metal 'sailor's needle' (one used to mend tears in ships' sails) and a good thimble. Then collect, empty, wash and 'string' uncapped
plastic water bottles (without the labels) and similar bottles onto the line. This 'unit' may be easily cast into the water, jostled until the entire 'unit' is coated with oil' and then 'hauled in', properly bagged in a large plastic garbage bag and submitted to the proper EPA collection site for hazardous material disposal. We can ALL do this and it costs us nothing but time. Personally, I like the irony that these plastic materials will end up being of some use to the wildlife and ecosystem they have so affected at times!
FOR THE PROS-REV BARB'S SKIMMING SUGGESTIONS: Take large sheets of 'Tyvek' or Tyvek-like (spun-bonded polyolefin) material. "Lattice them" as they do for skin-grafting. In other words, prepare the Tyvek by splitting it into a series of small, incremental 'cuts' until a 'netlike formation' emerges which can be stretched open. Obviously, this procedure is intended to greatly increase the SURFACE AREA of the material which will then be 'laid upon' the oil-laden water (emulsified or not), dragged, scooped up and disposed of. Given the fact that Tyvek-like materials are so durable and inert, it may be possible to clean off oil-loaded 'netted Tyvek-like skimming sheets' with steam and reuse. Believe me, having worn enough 'disposable lab coats' made out of this material, I can certify that they are durable and 'pick up grease and oil' like crazy on the surface.
3) EMULSIFYING LEAKING OIL AT THE SOURCE, NOT JUST AT THE SURFACE-Since stopping the leaks in the gulf has not been accomplished 'yet', I suggest rigging a tanker ship with a hot Emulgade-type emulsifier with an aim towards injecting said emulsion to the oil leak site, itself, where not only will the crystal problem be solved, but a reasonable degree of oil will be emulsified which can be subsequently evacuated under suction to the surface. If nothing else, this technique may allow 'cappers'-i.e. those who are trying to actually stop or cap the leaks to have a somewhat easier job of things.
4) DIRECTING & DIVERTING THE LEAKS IF THEY CANNOT BE STOPPED-If the leaks cannot be stopped, perhaps they can be 'diverted' using jet engine technology. Perhaps an area of the Gulf can be designated as a 'capture area'. This would mean cordoning off a relatively shallow area, hanging Tyvek containment curtains there and diverting oil streaming out of the ocean floor into the containment area. This is a different approach from the so-called 'top-hat' containment already proposed. I think of some of the fish-corralling methods used in commercial fishing can be adapted for use like this and probably some of their gear can be adapted without too much of an ado. We'll never 'capture and contain' all the oil, but we may be able to cordone off some, at least, and keep it out of the rest of the worlds' oceans and waterways.
5) FREEZE-SOLIDIFYING LEAKING OIL AT SOURCE FOR SUBSEQUENT 'CHUNK REMOVAL'-Here is another suggestion worth considering: I propose that some super-cooling substance/technology is used to essentially 'freeze'...or at least solidify...the leaking oil, once it is some distance from the immediate leak. We see what has transpired with the crystals down there and maybe we can use that very concept to make 'clean-up' easier. Advanced super-cooling refrigeration units are available, as well as super-cooling compressed gasses and liquids. Now before anyone comes up with brilliant suggestion of using liquid nitrogen for this, I would respectfully submit that you might want to consider that nitrogenous compounds plus petrochemicals generally lead to trinitrotoluene-like by products. That's TNT to the rest of us and not the best mix for our needs here. Hydrogen gas, while cold under pressure is flammable, so I would suggest something 'inert' and available primarily to the refrigerator manufacturing industry, which, ideally, will be used in a 'closed coil system'.
6) MICRONIZING OF RESIDUAL OIL-My suggestions to accomplish this include the use of ultrasonic probe utilization (good for dispersing small amounts of remaining oil to be subsequently subjected to microbial treatment). Other 'agitation methods' can also be used, including : underwater mechanical vibration (again, with subsequent microbial treatment), microwaving of small oil clumps with subsequent agitation and dispersal of resulting droplets set for mechanical removal or microbial treatment. And finally, I would propose the use of a good, relatively 'inert' safe emulsifying agent such as used in foods, drugs and cosmetics. The choices are many, but I would suggest something along the lines of one of the 'Emulgade' products, used concurrently with heat treatment and suction evacuation of the emulsified oil mixture to the surface for proper disposal. We need to be ever-mindful as we chose an emulsifying agent that it is literally as 'edible' as possible, for we are injecting it into an ecosystem. The chemicals in use so far...I'm not so sure of their safety, let alone their efficiency and efficacy. Fans of sodium fluoroscein are having a 'heyday' at least. ( chemist's joke here)
So, there you have it. These are my ideas to date for assisting things in the Gulf Oil Clean Up. I don't know if it will be possible to correct what has happened. By all indicators, this seems like an unavoidable accident. With all the 'imaging' and 'sensing' equipment available to the oil industry today, it is very possible to 'detect' massive methane pockets/exposures/leaks. My thinking is that with all the EARTHQUAKE ACTIVITY we've been having lately all over the globe, the sea floor has been undergoing massive tectonic plate shifting, jostling, pushing, pulling and shoving.
You may want to read my Earthquake Tutorials on this. Even the best minds in the world of seismology admit that seismic maps of the sea floor fall far short of those that have been prepared for land areas. In all fairness to BP, I'd like to say that they and we are likely the victims of just this.
If you'd like to contact me, my email is: BarbaraKSexton@aol.com or you can comment at the link below. I do pray that we as a peoples can come to an accord and solve our domestic energy and other problems and adequately deal with this emergency. Unfortunately, I'm already thinking along the lines of seeing an uber-LaBrea Tar Pit in-the-making.
God I hope I'm wrong!
Reverend Barbara Sexton
"The Biblical Biochemist-Where Science Meets the Cross"
www.DearOnesHealingMinistry.blogspot.com
May 14, 2010
Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved
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