News / Science & Technology Cotton May be Eco-Friendly Way to Clean Oil Spills
May 16, 2013
Voice of America - Nearly three years after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig spilled nearly 5 million barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, oil is still being found on Gulf beaches and coastal marshes. Officials have used everything from straw, to wool, to feathers to try to soak it up. Now, scientists at Texas Tech University report that unprocessed raw cotton may provide the ideal clean-up solution for crude oil spills.
Nearly three years after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig spilled nearly
5 million barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, oil is still being found on Gulf
beaches and coastal marshes. Officials have used everything from straw, to wool, to
feathers to try to soak it up.
Now, scientists at Texas Tech University report that unprocessed raw cotton may provide
the ideal clean-up solution for crude oil spills.