Harmful Effects of Environmentally Unsafe Solvents and Absorbents

Even one-drop-at-a-time oil spills on roads andhumans as well as to the wildlife.
parking lots from vehicles are enough to polluteSimilarly, when you use toxic chemicals, such as
the environment significantly. The oil spilled on thedetergents or dispersants on an oil spill, they
driveway, parking lots, or gas stations, not onlybreak up the oil into small droplets, which dissolve
look unsightly, but according to the National Oceanfor some time, but again reform and float on the
and Atmospheric Administration, they alsowater surface creating additional problems.
contribute to an estimated 80 percent of marineGas stations often use kitty litter or other
pollution.granular absorbents for oil spill cleanup. These
When an oil spill occurs at home, most people usegranular absorbents soak up all the oil rather than
oil spill cleanup techniques, such as hot waterbiodegrade it. And, when the oil kitty litter is
pressure washing, pour paint thinner, use kittyswept up and disposed off, it ends up in a land fill
litter, soapy water and other granular absorbentsresulting in an environmental hazard.
and solvents. But, the fact is that most of theOn the whole, the solvents and absorbents that
techniques that you use for oil spill cleanup are notwe use for oil spill cleanup are also harmful
environmentally safe and cause more harm thanpollutants. Bioremediation is the only method that
the oil spill itself.cleans up oil spill in an eco-friendly manner.
Even though washing down oil spills quicklyBioremediation is the process where the harmful
removes driveway oil stains, it still leaves thehydrocarbons present in the oil are broken down
driveway slippery and also proves to be harmfulinto nontoxic substances by attracting the
to the environment in the long run. Washing off oilmicrobes present in the atmosphere. So, always
spills results in oil being flushed into the ditches ormake use of oil spill cleaners that make use of
storm sewers, which ultimately end up in streamsthis technology.
or lakes polluting them and causing great harm to