What is the difference between “generation” and “type” when describing oil spill dispersants?
There is often confusion between the use of the terms “generation” and “type” in the description of Oil Spill Dispersants. First generation Oil Spill Dispersants are not type I Oil Spill Dispersants. The first generation dispersants are no longer used in oil spill response in Australia and were essentially “industrial cleaners”, “degreasers” and “detergents” with high aquatic toxicity, and not true dispersants. The second generation dispersants were specifically designed to treat oil spills at sea with a mixture of surfactants and solvents with much lower toxicity levels than the first generation Oil Spill Dispersants. These second generation Oil Spill Dispersants were conventional low aromatic hydrocarbon based and applied undiluted (neat) and sprayed from vessels. The third generation Oil Spill Dispersants have been designed to be applied from both aircraft and vessels as either a concentrate or diluted. It is more useful to refer to OSDs using the “type” classification; Type I – Con
