final paper-effectiveness of biomass on oil...

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Effectiveness of Biomass on Oil Sorption

Aesha Shah River Trail Middle School

Mr. Philip Paulk Physical Science Ho

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Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Research 4

Literature Review 12

Problem/Purpose 16

Hypothesis 17

Experimental Design 18

Materials 19

Procedures 20

Experiment Data 22

Analysis 25

Discussion 26

Conclusion 27

Reflection 28

Works Cited 29

Acknowledgements 31

Appendix 32

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Introduction

Oil spills occur with an alarming frequency and have serious environmental and economic

consequences, as witnessed in major oil spill in past. They severely damage aquatic ecosystems,

while contaminating water sources. Current remediation solutions include the usage of synthetic

sorbents and hard booms, in-situ burning, skimmers and dispersants. These solutions, while

effective, are expensive, and have an adverse impact on the environment, as the materials are

difficult to dispose. Therefore, in order to minimize the adverse effects, it is worthwhile finding

low cost and effective treatment method of oil spill removal which is environment friendly.

Organic sorbents (i.e. agricultural wastes such banana peel, orange peel & pomegranate

husk) can be widely used. Besides being biodegradable and of low cost, they have a high oil

sorption capacity, with low water pickup, high buoyancy and good reusability. Their sorption

capacity is often as good as other inorganic sorbent because they can pick up 2 to 5 times their

weight of oil. The work presented here evaluates the oil sorption capacity of banana peels,

orange peels, and pomegranate husks for oil spill cleanup and to find out which is the most

effective sorbent out of those three.

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Research

Oil spills constitute a major source of fresh and seawater pollution as a result of

accidental discharge from tankers, marine engines, and underwater pipes (Idris et. al. The

Scientific World Journal). Oil spills on the ocean have a severely negative effect on marine life,

especially seabirds and their filter-feeders. Seabirds, such as seagulls and ducks, spend most of

their lives on water and go to land only during their nesting period. The feathers of many

seabirds are wettable and must be carefully preened (or dried) for flight. If a feather comes in

contact with oil, the seabird ingests the oil while trying to preen. Filter-feeders, such as clams

and oysters, take in surface water through their gills and filter it to take out any microscopic

food. If there is oil on the water, it gets concentrated with these shellfish and the accumulates in

their predators in a higher concentration (Science World, Bioremediation of Oil Spills). If the oil

comes ashore, it harms other creatures and terrestrial animals. Such spilled oils also effects

humans through inhalation, skin, and eye irritation (Bhairavi Doshi, et. Al. 262).

Many researchers have reviewed the aspects and impacts of oil spills, on the ecosystem, and

have over time developed many various methods and chemicals for oil spill response. However,

the spill intensity and location determine the clean-up technology that needs to be applied. Oil

spill treatment methods can be classified as physical/mechanical, chemical, or

biological (Bhairavi Doshi et. al. 263).

Therefore, the needs for cost-effective and environmentally friendly sorbent materials for

oil spill cleanup cannot be overemphasized (Idris et. al. The Scientific World Journal).

Development of the oil sorbents made of organic materials was initiated in order to provide

resources for marine oil spill response with less environmental load and cost sorbents of the oil

spill in water are materials that soak up the oil. They can be used to recover oil through the

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mechanism of absorption and adsorption or both. Absorbents allow oil to penetrate the material.

Once sorbents have been used to recover oil, they must be removed from the water and properly

disposed of on land or cleaned for reuse. Any oil that is removed from the sorbent materials must

also be disposed of or recycled. Sorbents can be divided into three basic categories: natural

organic, natural inorganic, and synthetic. Organic sorbents can absorb 3 to 15 times their weight

of oil, they are relatively inexpensive and readily available (Aboul-Gheit et al. 260).

Walkup et. al, reported that an oil spill cleanup is a question of options and not solutions.

Even though no oil spill cleanup system is likely to be completely effective. Sorbents are one of

the most widely used methods for compacted oil spill in the sea (Bhairavi Doshi 263).

Each year, more than 14,000 oil spills are reported in the United States and each range in the

severity and spread of the oil spill (Montgomery, The Weird Way Cleaning Up Oil Spills Can

Actually Harm Animals).

Table 1:

Year 7-700 tons >700 tons 2010 5 4 2011 4 1 2012 7 0 2013 5 3 2014 4 1 2015 6 2 2016 4 1 2017 4 2 Total 39 14 Average 4.9 18

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Table 2: Year Quantity 2010 12,000 2011 2,000 2012 1,000 2013 7,000 2014 5,000 2015 7,000 2016 6,000 2017 7,000 Total 47,000

As shown in Table 1, the amount of oil spills between 7-700 tons in 2010 is about the

same as the number of spills in 2017. Therefore, it is very critical to come up with an eco-

friendly method to clean up these oil spills. In Table 2, it shows that in the 8-year-period about

53 spills of 7 tons and over have occurred, resulting in 47,000 tons of oil lost.

Even if they are not large oil spills, offshore drilling everyday activities create waste

products that harm the environment. This waste includes produced water, drilling fluids, cuttings,

crushed rock, diesel emission, and chemicals used to operate drilling equipment (Mooney, 36).

The majority of waste from offshore exploration and production is produced water, which is a

mixture of hydrocarbons, naturally occurring radioactive materials, dissolved solids, and

chemical additives used in the drilling process (Mooney, 36-37).

Drilling muds are also released in large volumes during drilling. These muds typically contain

substances that can be harmful to ocean ecosystems such as arsenic, barium, cadmium,

chromium, copper, iron, lead, mercury, and zinc (Mooney, 37).

When released into the ocean, oil, produced water, and drilling muds can affect entire

populations of sea life (Mooney, 36)

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Data of Incidence of Spills by Cause:

Most of the large spills occurred while the vessels were underway in open water.

Allision, collisions, and grounding accounted for 59% of the causes of these spills.

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Unsurprisingly, these same causes account for an even higher percentage of incidents

when the vessel was underway inland or in restricted water, being linked to some 99% of spills

(ITOPF, 13).

Oil spills coat everything they touch and become log-term parts of every ecosystem

they enter, when oil eventually stops floating on the water’s surface and begins to sink into the

marine environment, it can have similar damaging effects on fragile underwater ecosystems,

killing or contaminating fish and smaller organisms that are essentials likes in the global food

chain (West, 5 Environment Consequences of Oil Spills).

Birds:

Oil covered birds are a universal symbol of environmental damage wreaked by oil spills

Some species of shore birds might escape by relocating if they sense the danger in time, but sea

birds that swim and dive for their food are most likely to be covered in oil following a spill

(West, 5 Environment Consequences of Oil Spills)

Marine Mammals:

Oil spills frequently kill marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, seals, and sea otters.

Oil can clog blowholes of whales and dolphins, making it impossible for them to breathe

properly and disrupting their ability to communicate. Oil coats fur of otters and seals, leaving

them vulnerable to hypothermia (West, 5 Environment Consequences of Oil Spills).

Fish:

Oil spills often take a deadly toll on fish, shellfish, and other marine life. Particularly if

fish eggs or larvae are exposed to oil. (West, 5 Environmental Consequences of Oil Spills)

Wildlife Habitat and Breeding Grounds

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Long-term damage to species, their habitats, and their nesting or breeding grounds is one

of the most far-reaching environmental effects caused by oil spills. (West, 5 Environmental

Consequences of oil spills)

Oil spills are expensive, dangerous and downright nasty!

Ultimately, the severity of environmental damage caused by an oil spill depends on many

factors, including the amount of oil spilled, type and weight of oil, location of the spill, species

of wildlife in the area, timing of breeding cycles and seasonal migrations, and even the weather

at sea during and after the oil spill.

Oil Spill Cleanup Methods:

To help combat oil spills, Chemical dispersants are used. Dispersants are chemicals that

are sprayed on a surface oil slick to break down the oil into smaller droplets that more readily

mix with the water.

This process sounds relatively painless, right? Wrong, dead wrong.

While it would be nice to believe that dispersants rid the ocean of oil forever, the truth of

the matter is that dispersants do not reduce the amount of oil entering the environment. Instead,

they literally just push the problem (a combination of oil and chemicals) underwater where

people can’t see them. Given time, the effects will quickly be visible and unavoidable. Chemical

dispersants and dispersed oil under the ocean surface are hazardous for marine life.

Dispersants wreak havoc in ocean environments and have proven to many marine organisms.

Few organisms that are impacted by the use of dispersants are Coral Reefs, Birds, Marine

Mammals and many more.

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Mechanical and chemical treatments commonly used to clean up oil spills have

limitations such as high cost, inefficient trace level absorption, and adverse effect on the

environment. (Alaa El-Din, G. et. al., Study on the use of banana peels for oil spill removal)

Therefore, it is critical that we use environmentally-friendly and low cost, biodegradable

materials (Alaa El-Din G. et. al., Study on the use of banana peels for oil spill removal.)

Oil Absorption and the Biodegradation Process:

Oil Recovery and Oil Biodegradation:

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Existing dispersants/chemical herders are chemically stable, but non-biodegradable so

remain longer in the marine environment. There is, therefore, a growing demand for green, facile

and eco-friendly, low-cost sorbents from biopolymers for the treatment of oil spills and chemical

leaks. In past few years, advanced materials such as aerogels, foam membranes, inorganic

meshes, and surface-modified fabrics have been used extensively for the separation of oil-water

mixtures. Meanwhile, the increasing population rate has increased the rate of food consumption,

resulting in massive amounts of bio-waste globally. For this reason, the wise way is to use such

easily biodegradable bio-waste or biomass to produce low-cost sorbents with higher oil sorption

capacity that are simple to scale up for the cleanup of an oil spill, rather than hazardous

chemicals. This review addresses the potential and environmentally-friendly bio-based materials

such as banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate husks in the form of sorbents for oil spill

treatment. These kinds of bio-based materials have recently been the subject of increasing

interest in oil spill treatment applications. (Doshi et.al., 264)

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Literature Review

The purpose of this science fair experiment was to discover which food waste would

absorb the most oil spillage under certain conditions. To better understand the experiment,

research was done on oil spill statistics, effects on the environment, and cleanup methods.

Research sources include excerpts from scientific journals, a personal interview, an article from

OneGreenPlanet.org, and a statistics report on oil spillage produced by the International Tanker

Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF). This research led to the fact that current cleanup methods

are harmful to the environment. Therefore, using biodegradable materials specifically food waste

such as banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate husks, will be more effective in cleaning up

oil and will not harm the environment.

The first source that was reviewed was a statistics report produced by the ITOPF which

was titled “Oil Tanker Spills Statistics 2017.” Most of the large spills occurred from collision,

allusion, and grounding especially while the vessels were underway in the open water. The

number of spills between 7-700 tons in 2017 is same as the number of spills in 2010. In the 8-

year-period between 2000 and 2017, about 53 spills of 7 tons and over have occurred resulting in

47,000 tons of oil spilt (ITPOF, 2018). This shows that oil spills are a major problem and it

needs to be solved.

The second source is from OneGreenPlanet.org, with the article titled “The Weird Ways

of Cleaning Up Oil Spills Can Actually Harm Animals.” According to National Oceanic &

Atmospheric Association (NOAA), it is not recommended that dispersants be used to clean up

oil spills near coral reefs for two reasons. For one thing, dispersants don’t work on every oil spill

and are effective on deep water spills as they can simply break apart oil and mix them in deep

water columns. The second reason is that dispersants are known to be chemically toxic to coral

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reef. Dispersants exaggerate the affects oil on birds. It damages the insulating properties of

feathers and birds become susceptible to hypothermia. Dispersants can harm marine mammals in

many ways such as irritate their skin, cause ulcers if ingested, and can cause irritation injuries to

respiratory tract if inhaled (Madison Montgomery, 2014). Therefore, it is very critical to come up

with an eco-friendly method to clean up these oil spills.

The third source reviewed was a scientific journal by Bhairavi Doshi, et. al, titled “A

review of bio-based materials for oil spill treatment.” As of recent times, the challenge is to clean

water resources, which are being polluted by oil either in the form of routine shipping, run-offs

from industry dumping oil spills. Most oils float on the surface causing seabirds and marine

animals to be affected. Spilled oils also affect humans through inhalation, skin and eyes causing

irritation (Bhairavi Doshi, et. al., 2018). The wise way to clean up oil spills is to use the easily

biodegradable bio-waste or biomass, rather than hazardous chemicals.

The fourth source reviewed was an excerpt from a scientific journal by Mohammad

Abdullah, titled “Preliminary Study of Oil Removal using Hybrid Peel Waste:

Musa Balbisiana and Citrus Sinensis.” “The adsorption capacity of banana peels and orange

peels were different with different types of oil.” The adsorption capacity of banana peel was the

highest in heavy oil like lubricant oil, while the orange peel can react effectively with lighter oils,

such as petroleum, due to different percentages of cellulose content. The percentages of cellulose

content for the fruit waste (peels or husks) are different and can influence the amount of

adsorption. The adsorbent with the highest percentage of cellulose content can remove heavy oils

more effectively than those with low percentages of cellulose content (Mohammad Abdullah, 59-

62). This evidence shows that of all the sorbents, banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate

husks will be most effective.

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The fifth source reviewed was an excerpt from a scientific journal by G. Alaa El-Din, et.

al, titled “Study on the use of banana peel for oil spill removal.” Recently, many researchers’

interest is drawn towards using agricultural wastes or by-product materials as a sorbent for oil

removal. Sorbents produced from agricultural wastes are biodegradable, low-cost oil absorbents

with less water pickup, and have high buoyancy and good reusability. The sorption capacity of

banana peels provides good results for oil spill cleanup, while both lowering the environmental

contamination and reducing agriculture waste (G. Alaa El-Din, et. al., 2018). Banana peels, being

most cost-effective and eco-friendly, are the most effective sorbents.

The sixth source which was reviewed is an excerpt from a scientific journal

by Najaa Syuhada et, al, with the title “Response Surface Methodology Optimization of Oil

Removal using Banana Peel as a Bio sorbent.” “A study of vegetable fibers showed a very high

degree of hydrophobicity and oil sorption capacity of approximately 85g oil/g sorbent in 24

hours.” “The surface activity of banana peels is mainly due to the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl

and amide groups on its surface and the high surface area of banana peels adds to the property

and makes it an excellent and economic adsorbent, for water purification processes.” “Banana

peels can benefit the oil pollution issue with a more affordable solution and this can also reduce

the abundance of household waste problems,” (Najaa Syuhada, et. al., 1101-1108).

Overall, the research indicated the importance of using biodegradable materials,

specifically food waste, such as banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate husks. One of the

most interesting things learned in the research on biodegradable materials was the concept of

adsorption. It is when an adsorbent, such as pomegranate husks, adsorbs oil. By adsorbing the

oil, it creates a film of the liquid, in this case oil; therefore, it can be removed from the adsorbent

and reused.

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The researcher hypothesized that if banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate husks

are used to clean up oil spills, then the banana peels will be the most effective sorbent. The

independent variable is the biodegradable sorbent used to clean up the oil spill. Although the

amount of oil in the water will be the same, the sorbent, used to clean up the oil, will be tested.

The experiment will have controls in place for testing. Besides the sorbents used to clean up the

oil spill, all of the other factors will be constant. The amount and type of oil will remain the

same, the size of the container will be constant along with the amount, temperature, and type of

water used, and the spend of the wind and the time it is applied will remain the same for this

experiment. The type of the sorbent applied will determine the amount of oil absorbed. The

researcher hypothesizes that the banana peel will be the most effective sorbent. As long as the

constants are put into place, the type of sorbent used should be the only factor that affects the

amount of oil absorbed.

Researching and reviewing these five sources gave the exhibitor a much better

understanding of the importance of cleaning up oil spills with environmentally friendly and

biodegradable sorbents. This knowledge will help the exhibitor to complete a more successful

science fair project. Due to the alarmingly high rates of oil spills occurring annually, the

environment is constantly threatened. Oil spills endanger public health and marine life, imperil

drinking water, devastate natural resources, and disrupt the economy. To clean up these oil spills,

conventional methods are used, such as chemical dispersants, which harm the environment more

than the oil itself. Therefore, it is imperative to clean up oil spills using effective,

environmentally friendly, and biodegradable sorbents.

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Purpose

The purpose of this science fair experiment was to discover which food waste out of

banana peel, orange peel and pomegranate husk would absorb the most oil spillage under certain

conditions. To better understand the experiment, research was done on oil spill statistics, effects

on the environment, and cleanup methods.

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Hypothesis

If banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate husks are used to clean up oil spills, then

the banana peels will be the most effective sorbent. The researcher believes her hypothesis will

be supported because the research that was done showed that banana peels are the most efficient

oil spill sorbents.

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Experimental Design

Oil spills are harming humans, plants, and animals, and threatening ecosystems around

the world. As of recent times, chemical dispersants and unsafe chemicals have been used to clean

up oil spills, creating more harm than the oil spill itself. Therefore, it is vital to use biodegradable

materials, such as banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate husks, which are safe and

effective oil spill sorbents. Banana peels are the most common types of food waste, making them

the ideal biomass sorbents for oil spill cleanup.

This leads to the question: Which biomass, out of banana peels, orange peels, or

pomegranate husks, is the most effective sorbent for oil spill cleanup? The researcher

hypothesized that if banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate husks are used to clean up oil

spills, then the banana peels will be the most effective sorbent. The researcher believes her

hypothesis will be supported because the research that was done showed that banana peels are

the most efficient oil spill sorbents. The independent variable is the sorbent material used for the

oil spill cleanup, which are banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate husks. The dependent

variable will be the amount of oil cleaned up by each sorbent material. For the most accurate

results, other factors, besides the sorbents used, will be held constant. These factors include the

amount and type of oil, the size of the container, the temperature, quantity, and type of water

used, the speed of the wind and the time it is applied.

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Materials

• four 50-cm x 28-cm x 5-cm aluminum disposable trays or equivalents (per trial)

• cold tap water (filled within 1 cm of the tray’s rim per trial)

• stirring rods

• vegetable oil (48 metric tbsp per trial)

• pure cocoa powder (32 metric tbsp per trial)

• sea salt or table salt if sea salt is not available (8 tsp per trial)

• a tablespoon

• a teaspoon

• bowls (about 3 per trial)

• a strainer

• an electronic scale

• banana peels (grinded) (128 g or 1 cup per trial)

• orange peels (grinded) (128 g or 1 cup per trial)

• pomegranate husks (128 g or 1 cup per trial)

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Experiment Procedures

Safety Precautions:

There are no required safety precautions, but it is suggested to wear gloves and an apron

to prevent any substances from touching skin or clothes.

To simulate ocean water:

1. Fill the four aluminum disposable trays with cold tap water within 1 cm of the rim.

2. Add 8 tsp of salt slowly and stir until dissolved.

To simulate crude oil:

1. Mix 12 metric tbsp of vegetable oil to cocoa powder until it is of a crude oil consistency.

2. Repeat this process 10 times for each sorbent. Rinse the bowl after each use.

To prepare the sorbents:

Banana Peels:

1. Buy bananas from a local farmers’ market and separate the peels.

2. Clean the peels with water to remove any undesired materials.

3. Dry the peels in the oven.

4. Ground any large particles in a grinder and sieve into powder form.

5. Prepare 1280 g or 10 cups of this sorbent.

Orange Peels:

1. Buy oranges from a local farmers’ market and separate the peels.

2. Clean the peels with water to remove any undesired materials.

3. Dry the peels in the oven.

4. Ground any large particles in a grinder and sieve into powder form.

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Pomegranate Husks:

1. Buy pomegranates from a local farmers’ market and separate the husks.

2. Clean the husks with water, to remove any undesired materials.

3. Dry the husks and cut them into small pieces.


To test the sorbents:

1. Very slowly pour the simulated crude oil from a height of 1 cm onto the top of the ocean

water.

2. Place the sorbent into the simulated ocean water.

3. Repeat these steps for a total of 10 times for each sorbent. Wash and dry the container in

between each trial.

To test the constant:

1. Measure the amount of oil in the water before testing each sorbent, this is for the constant

trial.

To record data from the experiment:

1. After each trial, collect the sorbent material in a strainer. Weigh the sorbent in grams

(after use), subtract the weight of the sorbent (before use) which is 128 g or 1 cup.

Record this difference for Trials 1-10 for each sorbent. Compare the average results for

each sorbent to determine the most effective sorbent to support/reject the hypothesis.

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Experiment Data

Sorbent Used Orange Peels Pomegranate Husks Banana Peels Effectiveness of each biomass on oil sorption: (average percentage of original weight absorbed)

214.1028% (of its original weight)



*See Appendix for detailed data tables

As shown in the graph above, the banana peels had an average absorption capacity of

262.7995% (of its original weight), the orange peels had an average absorption capacity of

214.1028% (of its original weight), and the pomegranate husks had an average absorption

capacity of 113.3771% (of its original weight).

214.1028

113.3771

262.7995

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Orange Peels Pomegranate Husks Banana Peels

AVERAGE OF TRIALS

Average of Trials

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Banana peels as the sorbent material:

Before

After

*See Appendix for more pictures of the process

Orange Peels as the sorbent material:

Before

After


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Pomegranate Husks as the sorbent material:

Before

After


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Analysis

The data shows that the banana peel sorbent material absorbed about 262.7995%, which

equates to a little less than 3 times, of its original weight. The orange peel sorbent material

absorbed about 214.1028%, which equates to about 2 times, of its original weight. The

pomegranate husk sorbent material absorbed about 113. 3771%, which equates to about 1.13

times, of its original weight. Overall, the banana peel sorbent material was relatively the most

effective at absorbing the oil, the orange peel sorbent material was relatively the second most

effective absorbent, and the pomegranate husk sorbent material was relatively the least

effective sorbent.

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Discussion

In summary, the evidence stated in the researcher’s literature review emphasized the

importance of cleaning up oil spills, and using biodegradable, effective sorbent material. This led

to the question of which material would be the most effective, and the choices were eliminated to

three fruit wastes: banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate husks. After thorough research,

most of the evidence pointed to the fact that banana peels would be the most effective sorbent

material. As stated by my literature review, banana peels are often thrown away and don’t have

any use, but at the same time banana peels are very efficient at biodegrading, making them the

ideal solution for cleaning up oil.

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Conclusion

Oil spills are harming humans, plants, and animals, and threatening ecosystems around

the world. As of recent times, chemical dispersants and unsafe chemicals have been used to clean

up oil spills, creating more harm than the oil spill itself. Therefore, it is vital to use biodegradable

materials, such as banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate husks, which are safe and

effective oil spill sorbents. Banana peels are the most common types of food waste, making them

the ideal biomass sorbents for oil spill cleanup. This led to the question: Which biomass, out of

banana peels, orange peels, or pomegranate husks, is the most effective sorbent for oil spill

cleanup? The researcher hypothesized that if banana peels, orange peels, and pomegranate husks

are used to clean up oil spills, then the banana peels will be the most effective sorbent. The data

from the experiment proved that the banana peels was the most effective sorbent material. Since

the experiment was not run in a completely controlled environment, slight changes may have

occurred during the experiment altering the results and data, but if it was run in a lab or a

scientific-based environment, further study of these sorbent materials could have been done and

the results of the experiment would have been more accurate.

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Reflection

Although biomass, as a sorbent material for oil spill cleanup, has received considerable

attention in recent years, very less research upon it has been done. It is very critical to use a low-

cost, non-toxic, and biodegradable sorbent material which provides a satisfactory use, in the

cleanup of oil spills. Results of this experiments are very important in proving its claim that

biomass are very effective in oil removal. Findings from this study can be used by environmental

scientist in the field of research for oil spill cleanup such as U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA). Nowadays oil spills are one of the most serious pollutants that have negative

effects on the ecosystem and marine life. Environmentalists face major challenges in the

treatment of spills and in developing an alternative product with low cost. Among all different

sorbents, agriculture waste is preferred as an oil cleanup technology due to its biodegradation

and buoyancy. This study proved that the banana peel sorbent material, due to its great

adsorption capacity, can be a substitutional biodegradable material for oil spill removal.

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Works Cited

AACT. “How Can We Clean Up an Oil Spill?” Science Friday, 23 Feb. 2015.

Abdullah, Mohammad, et al. “Preliminary Study of Oil Removal Using Hybrid Peel Waste:

Musa Balbisiana and Citrus Sinensis.” Journal of Applied Environmental and Biological

Sciences, 2016, doi:10.1107/s0108768104025947/bm5015sup1.cif.

Aboul-Gheit, A.K., et. al. “Absorption of Spilled Oil from Seawater by Waste Plastic.” Oil and

Science Technology, (2006): 260

Alaa El-Din, G., et. al., “Study on the use of Banana Peels for Oil Spill Removal.” Alexandria

Engineering Journal, Elsevier, 3 June 2017

“Bioremediation of Oil Spills.” Science World British Colombia, Telus World of Science, 6 Jan.

2018

Doshi, Bhairavi. Personal Interview. 20 June. 2018

Doshi, Bhairavi, et al. “A Review of Bio-Based Materials for Oil Spill Treatment.” Water

Research, Elsevier, vol. 135, Feb. 2018, pp. 262–277., doi:10.1016/j.watres.2018.02.034.

El-Din, G. Alaa, et al. “Study on the Use of Banana Peels for Oil Spill Removal.” Alexandria

Engineering Journal, May 2017, doi:10.1016/j.aej.2017.05.

Idris, J. et. al., “A Preliminary Study of Biodegradable Waste as Sorbent Material for Oil-Spill

Cleanup,” The Scientific World Journal, (2014)

Montgomery, Madison. “The Weird Ways of Cleaning Up Oil Spills Can Actually Harm

Animals.” 17 Dec. 2014, doi:10.1075/ps.5.3.02chi.audio.2f.

Mooney, Carla. Oil Spills and Offshore Drilling. San Diego, CA: Reference Point Press, 2011

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Syuhada, Najaa. “Response Surface Methodology Optimization of Oil Removal Using Banana

Peel as Biosorbent.” Malaysian Journal of Analytical Science, vol. 21, no. 5, 2017,

doi:10.17576/mjas-2017-2105-12.

The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited. “Oil Tanker Spill Statistics

2017.” ITOPF, Jan. 2018

www.itopf.org/fileadmin/data/Photos/Statistics/Oil_Spill_Stats_2017_web.pdf.

West, Larry, “Major Oil Spill Can Damage the Environment in 5 Areas.” ThoughtCo, 16 July

2018

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Acknowledgements

Thank you Mr. Paulk for guiding me through the science fair process. Thank you Ms.

Bhairavi Doshi for answering my questions regarding oil spills and the biodegradation process.

Thank you Sejal & Mitesh Shah, for being wonderful parents and helping me succeed in my

science fair project.

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Appendix

Detailed Data Tables

Quantitative Data for “Effectiveness of Biomass on Oil Sorption” Trial 1

Sorbent: 128 g or 1 cup

Simulated Crude Oil: 20 metric tbsp

Control Banana Peels Orange Peels Pomegranate Husks

Effectiveness of each biomass on oil sorption: (percentage of original weight absorbed)

0% (of its original weight)



113. 6842% (of its original weight)










Quantitative Data for “Effectiveness of Biomass on Oil Sorption” Trial 3 Sorbent: 128 g or 1 cup


33


Effectiveness of each biomass on oil sorption:

(percentage of original weight absorbed)























34




Control Banana Peels Orange Peels Pomegranate

Husks










Husks










Husks

Effectiveness of each biomass on oil sorption:





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(percentage of original weight absorbed)





Husks










Husks






Qualitative Data for “Effectiveness of Biomass on Oil Sorption”

Sorbent Material: Banana Peels Orange Peels Pomegranate Husks Before being used

The sorbent material was a blackish-brown powder with small pieces of fibers from the peel.

The sorbent material was an orange powder with small pieces of fibers from the peel.

The sorbent material was chunks of pomegranate husks bundled in a grey tube of netting and was very light.

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After being used The sorbent material turned into a muddy, slimy substance and became darker. This was the second easiest to clean up.

The sorbent material became a brownish-orange, mushy, and muddy substance. This was the hardest to clean up.

The sorbent material was covered in a film of the simulated crude oil, turned brown and mushy, and was much heavier. This was the easiest to clean up.

Banana Peel Process:

Orange Peel Process:

Pomegranate Husk Process:

final paper-effectiveness of biomass on oil...

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