PFI (RAPID): A Rapid Response Proposal for Mitigating the Deposition of Oil on Gulf Shores via Oil Anti-deposition Strategies

“深水地平线”漏油事件正威胁着墨西哥湾海岸线、野生动物和依赖该地区的经济。如果能够防止石油沉积在这些基质上，就可以减轻石油对土地和野生动物的影响。在这种情况下，通过使用聚合土壤防再沉积剂，通常可以在洗衣中实现油在基材上的沉积。这个RAPID项目旨在调查这些药剂对减轻墨西哥湾沿岸石油沉积的影响的倾向。该项目将确定无毒、可生物降解的有效防沉积助剂，并在商业上大量使用，以减轻深水地平线石油泄漏对墨西哥湾海岸线的影响。这些试剂是聚合物，本质上是稳定油滴的立体结构，并防止在吸引的伦敦分散力作用下接近。然而，墨西哥湾的面积比衣物要大得多，墨西哥湾的石油淹没了整个系统，而且水是海水而不是淡水。这些是重要的未知变量。尽管如此，利用防油剂来减轻这种灾害的可能效果是值得探索的。最常用的土壤防再沉积剂是纤维素醚，价格低廉，可大量商用。羧甲基纤维素醚列在EPA目录子清单上。由于它们的水溶性和高分子量（生物浓缩潜力低），它们不太可能在食物链中积累。它们在急性基础上对鱼类和水生生物无毒。预计它们将在水生环境中缓慢生物降解。由于这些化合物在洗衣剂中的广泛使用，它们已经大量释放到环境中。还有一种海洋蛋白质是渔业的副产品，将在拟议的研究中进行调查，因为它们有能力防止石油粘在沿海基质上。寻找抗沉积助剂通常需要多年的艰苦努力。然而，由于高通量实验室和在创新伙伴关系计划（PFI奖0917730）的支持下建立的相关技能，首席研究员对消费品（如洗衣剂）的科学有相当的了解，他将领导高通量筛选工作，使用最先进的机器人液体处理机和微通道乳化设备。本研究也将为真正理解亲水聚合物在海水基质上的吸附作用，从而达到防沉积的目的提供基础。如果成功，所获得的知识将减轻当前灾难性石油泄漏的影响，并为应对未来类似的灾难提供材料。该项目将对科学工作者进行组合实验方法和危机应对方面的教育。

Deepwater Horizon oil spill is now threatening the Gulf Coastline and the wildlife and economies that depend upon this region. Mitigation of the effects of the oil on the land and wildlife could be achieved if the deposition of the oil onto these substrates could be prevented. In this context, deposition of oil onto substrates is routinely achieved in laundry by the use of polymeric soil anti-redeposition agents. This RAPID project seeks to investigate the propensity of these agents to mitigate the effects of oil deposition on the Gulf Coast. The project will identify effective oil anti-deposition aids that are nontoxic, biodegradable and available commercially in amount large enough to mitigate the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf Coastline. These agents are polymers that essentially sterically-stabilize the oil droplets and prevent close approach at which attractive London dispersion forces would operate. However, the Gulf is much larger than a laundry load, the oil in the Gulf is overwhelming the system, and the water is seawater rather than freshwater. These are significant unknown variables. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile exploring the use of oil anti-deposition agents for their possible effect in mitigating this disaster. The most commonly used soil anti-redeposition agents are cellulose ethers, which are available inexpensively in large commercial quantities. Carboxymethylcellulose ethers are listed on the EPA subinventory. These are not likely to accumulate in the food chain due to their water solubility and high molecular weight (bioconcentration potential is low). They are nontoxic to fish and aquatic organisms on an acute basis. They are expected to slowly biodegrade in the aquatic environment. These compounds are already released into the environment in vast quantities as a consequence of their widespread use in laundry detergents. There are also Marine proteins that are by-products of fisheries that will be investigated in the proposed research, for their ability to prevent oil from sticking to coastal substrates. The search for anti-deposition aids normally would be expected to require years of intensive effort. However, as a consequence of the high throughput laboratory and concomitant skill sets that has been built under the aegis of the Partnerships for Innovation program (PFI Award 0917730), the Principal Investigator has considerable knowledge of the science of consumer goods, such as laundry detergents, and he will lead the high throughput screening effort with state-of the art robotic liquid handlers and micro-channel emulsification devices. This study will also provide a basis for the real understanding of the role of adsorbing hydrophilic polymers on seawater substrates for the purposes of anti-deposition.If successful, the knowledge gained will mitigate the effects of the current catastrophic oil spill and provide materials to tackle future similar disasters. The project will educate the scientific workforce on combinatorial experimentation methods, and in response to crises.