REMEDİATİON OF OİL AND PETROLEUM PRODUCT SPİLLS İN MARİNE AND AQUATİC ENVİRONMENTS USİNG SORPTİON-BASED NEUTRALİZATİON METHODS

Abstract

Oil spills and petroleum product discharges into marine and aquatic environments represent one of the most pressing ecological challenges of our time. This article presents a comparative analysis of the principal methods currently employed for the removal of oil and petroleum products from water surfaces, encompassing mechanical, biological, physicochemical and thermal approaches. Based on the findings of experimental research sorption-based remediation was identified as the most efficient and practically viable technique, demonstrating clear advantages over alternative methods in terms of both selectivity and operational feasibility. Within this framework, sorbents were synthesized from polyurethane foam and reclaimed polystyrene foam owing to their high absorption capacity. Among the materials evaluated, a polystyrene foam sorbent — produced in granular form with a nominal diameter of 2–3 mm and an oil uptake capacity of 10 wt% — exhibited superior performance. The closed-cell structure of the polystyrene foam conferred notable buoyancy characteristics and a rapid sorption rate, with equilibrium reached in approximately 15 minutes.