What are oil spill dispersants ?
Dispersants are chemical formulations with an active ingredient called surfactants. Surfactants are specifically designed chemicals that have both hydrophilic (water liking) and oleophilic (oil liking) groups in the chemical compound. These chemicals reduce the interfacial tension between the oil and water and helps the creation of small oil droplets, which move into the water column facilitating quicker natural biological breakdown (biodegradation) and dispersion. By decreasing the size of the oil droplets, and dispersing the droplets in the water column, the oil surface area exposed to the water increases and natural breakdown of the oil is enhanced.
