The Method of Cleaning Oil From Sand

Factories sometimes spill oil on sandy beaches.

Oil spills on sand, while difficult to wash, are potentially harmful to the environment if left alone. Highly publicized oil spills on beaches usually occur when oil tankers spill their cargo. Containers of oil have also wound up spilling on sand from dumping, farming and human error. However they end up there, people should know when and how to clean up oil spills before any animals or plants are harmed.

Things You'll Need

• Safety suit
• Gloves
• Goggles (for cleaning up odorous oils)
• Building materials for walls such as logs, bags of sand, or booms
• Shovel, rake and/or vacuum
• Container for storing oil
• Absorbent materials like sponges, blankets, or sheets
• Oil solidifying chemicals
• Replacement sand (if possible)

Instructions

1. Build walls to contain the oil that are partially implanted in the sand. This will stop the spill from spreading on the surface and isolate the area that needs to be cleaned. Use materials like wood boards, cardboard, bricks or bags of sand. When the oil has a chance of being washed away by water (if it's too close to the shoreline or partially in water) using booms is recommended, because they will float and contain oil in water.

2. Remove areas of oil that have not sunk into the sand yet, as these are easier to clean manually and will save you money on cleaning materials. This oil can be removed by using a shovel. Store removed oil in containers which can later be recycled or dropped off at hazardous waste processing stations.

3. Cover the spill with an absorbent material to soak up the oil. This is effective for cleaning smaller amounts of oil that has yet to be completely absorbed into sand. Using sponges, blankets, towels, sheets or anything else that absorbs will leave the sand intact and slow the oil from penetrating farther into the earth. There are also a few chemical products available called "sorbents" which soak up oil, but unless soil cleanup needs to be done immediately, only use natural methods. Companies that produce these include Parker Systems and ChemTex.

4. Buy manufactured chemicals to solidify the oil and separate it from the sand. These chemicals will make solid lumps when added to soil that can be picked up with an industrial-strength vacuum. If the oil spill is deep down in the sand, the solidified lump can be left behind because it has a low toxicity which shouldn't affect the environment. Companies that produce oil solidifers include Extol Hydro Technologies and American Products Enterprises.

5. Arrange for the oil or byproduct to be picked up or dropped off. Pure liquid oil can be recycled, but oil with any sand debris in it should be given to a local hazardous waste depository or processing station.

6. Replace sand that has been displaced, if possible. Buy sand or transport it from areas farther from the shoreline.

Tips & Warnings

• You may add natural and biodegradable materials to the oil to make it break down faster instead of using solidifiers. The materials should be in liquid form or easily watered down so it doesn't pollute the sand for too long. Good biodegradable materials are anything that can be used as fertilizer, including store-bought fertilizer, eggs and plant material.

• If any animals or plants absorb oil, they should be washed first so the toxins don't seep into their skin.

• When working with toxic oils, wear a full body safety suit with gloves and do not inhale fumes for prolonged periods of time.

• Do not attempt to use oil dispersants for cleaning oil from sand. These are made especially for cleaning thick oil from large bodies of water and are more toxic onshore than offshore.

References

• University of Delaware: How Do you Clean Up an Oil Spill?
• The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited: Shoreline Clean Up
• American Petroleum Institute: Spill Prevention and Response
• Alaska Department of Natural Resources: Review of NRT-RRT Factsheet
• The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited: Dispersants