Innovative ‘aerogel’ can clean up marine oil spills

Researchers from Israel’s Ben-Gurion University have developed a gel technology to treat crude oil and fuel pollution in marine and aquatic environments.

The aerogel was designed by a team from the university’s Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory and looks to facilitate the process of capturing and long-term degradation of hydrocarbons.

The lab experiments on the technology have found that the gel can adsorb around 100 times its own mass in crude oil, fuel and other hydrocarbons.

Two-step approach

The porous aerogel is made from cellulose fibres enriched with nitrogen phosphorus and was developed through a process of nutrient enrichment, freeze-drying and pyrolysis.

Using a two-step process of physical adsorption and biological degradation, the nutrients in the aerogel supports oil-degrading bacteria, which can capture pollutants and biologically break them down.

On top of that, the aerogel is biodegradable, avoiding the process of removing the material after treatment.

Ariel Kushmaro, the lead professor of the study, said: “These findings demonstrate the potential of the method we developed as a versatile and sustainable platform for treating oil spills in aquatic and marine environments.

“By combining physical adsorption with biodegradation, the technology offers a promising and innovative alternative to conventional approaches, addressing both immediate containment and long-term environmental recovery.”

The research team is now working with the university’s technology commercialisation company, BGN Technologies, to gain patent recognition for its technology.