Gran Tarajal Harbour Oil Spill Recovery

Abstract

The work done in response to the accident that occurred in Gran Tarajal Harbour could offer a different way to solve similar accidents. Three new developments were used to reduce the environmental impact and the odour disturbances due to population to almost zero. The three new technologies were: Reusable sponge absorbents, granulate absorbents, and bioremediation with specific allogenic bacteria. Using foam reusable absorbents, it was possible to recover 57 ton of hydrocarbon with less than 5% of water in three days, relying on 8 people without previous training. Foam has a very high hydrophobic and oleophilic capacities, 1 kg removes up to 30 kg of oil, and after a quickly squeeze, it recovers its initial capacity to absorb oil. Then 1 kg of sponge can remove more than 6 ton of oil, because it is possible to reuse 200–300 times. Second technology is a granulate with a great hydrophobic and oleophilic capacities, which allows cleaning all the surfaces, tools, globes, boots, floor, and avoid the spills from harbour to reach back the water surface, when pieces of wrecks or machinery plenty of oil were recovered by cranes from water. The third development was bacteria, Pseudomona putida, which degrades oil very quickly. It reduces the hydrocarbon viscosity and surface tension, which means a reduction of oil adherence to sand, rocks, walls, organisms’ skins, and other surfaces, reducing environmental impact. This property allows increasing the lixiviation process from the sand, gravel, and muds to surface, and a constant degradation of oil attached to surfaces.