Oops! Deepwater Horizon Dispersants Backfired
10th November 2015
To cope with the record-breaking volumes of oil, authorities decided to dump 7 million liters of a dispersant called Corexit into the Gulf. This substance would break the oil slick into smaller clumps, preventing it from washing onto beaches, or clogging the fur and feathers of coastal wildlife. The smaller particles would also be easier fodder for oil-digesting microbes, which have evolved to break down hydrocarbons that naturally seep from oceanic vents.
But a new study by Samantha Joye at the University of Georgia shows that, at least in terms of the latter goal, the dispersants failed miserably.
By simulating the Deepwater spill in their laboratory, Joye’s team found that the dispersants actually suppressed oil-busting bacteria and slowed their ability to degrade oil. Instead, they favored microbes that, well, excel at digesting dispersants.