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Impact of mixing energy and dispersant dosage on oil dispersion and sedimentation with microplastics in the marine environment

Marine Pollution Bulletin 2023 9 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 40 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Xinping Yu, Xinping Yu, Xinping Yu, Miao Yang, Zhixin Qi, Zhixin Qi, Zhixin Qi, Zhixin Qi, Zhixin Qi, Deqi Xiong, Deqi Xiong Deqi Xiong, Yaya An, Yaya An, Deqi Xiong Xinping Yu, Miao Yang, Miao Yang, Yaya An, Yaya An, Yaya An, Yaya An, Yaya An, Yaya An, Deqi Xiong Huan Gao, Deqi Xiong, Ziyue Liu, Huan Gao, Huan Gao, Xinping Yu, Ziyue Liu, Deqi Xiong, Miao Yang, Yaya An, Miao Yang, Miao Yang, Yaya An, Ziyue Liu, Ziyue Liu, Ziyue Liu, Deqi Xiong, Ziyue Liu, Deqi Xiong

Summary

Laboratory experiments simulated how crude oil spilled at sea behaves differently when microplastics are present, testing the effects of wave energy and chemical dispersant on oil dispersion and sedimentation. Higher wave energy and dispersant doses both increased oil dispersion, but microplastics caused oil droplets to aggregate into heavier particles that sank faster, meaning more oil-microplastic agglomerates reached the seafloor than would otherwise. This interaction could complicate oil spill response and extend ecological damage to deep-sea environments.

Polymers

PE PET

Recently, the fate of spilled oil in the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the sea has attracted attention of researchers. Merey crude oil and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were used as the experimental materials in this study. The effects of mixing energy and dispersant dosage on oil dispersion and sedimentation in the presence of MPs in the water column were investigated by laboratory experiments simulating actual sea conditions. The increase of mixing energy showed a promoting effect on oil dispersion. When the oscillation frequency increased from 140 rpm to 180 rpm, the oil dispersion efficiency (ODE) ranged from 2.1 %-3.7 % to 17.4 %-30.8 %, and the volumetric mean diameter (VMD) of the suspended oil droplets/MPs-oil agglomerates (MOA) decreased from 99.9-131.4 μm to 76.6-88.2 μm after 2 h oscillation. The application of chemical dispersant led to an increase in both the quantity and size of the formed sunken MPs-oil-dispersant agglomerates (MODA). At the dispersant-to-oil ratio (DOR) of 1:5, the ODE declined from 77.7 % to 62.6 % when the MPs concentration increased from 0 to 150 mg/L, while the oil sinking efficiency (OSE) rose from 3.4 % to 15.6 % when the MPs increased from 25 to 150 mg/L; the maximum size of the sunken MODA reached 13.0 mm, and the total volume of the MODA formed per unit volume oil reached 389.7 μL/mL oil at the MPs concentration of 150 mg/L. Meanwhile, the results showed that the presence of MPs inhibited the oil dispersion by increasing the oil-water interfacial tension. The outcomes of this work may provide assistance in predicting the transport of spilled oil and developing emergency measures.

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