THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND USABILITY OF OIL SPILL

ABSORBENTS IN RESCUE OPERATIONS

Savon i a Un ive r s i t y o f

A p p l i e d S c i e n c e s

E me r g e n c y S e r v i c e s

C o l l e g e

D e c e mb e r 2 0 0 6

Kauko Himanka

2

SAVONIA POLYTECHNIC - SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, KUOPIO Degree Programme

Fire Officer (Engineer) Author

Kauko Himanka Title of Project

The cost-effectiveness and usability of oil spill absorbents in rescue operations Type of Project Date Pages

Final Project 18.12.2006 34 + 5 Academic Supervisor Company Supervisor

Mr Kyösti Survo, Head Instructor Company

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to study and compare all absorbents on the Finnish market, and find the trademarks which are usable and economical in rescue operations. Manufacturers and distributors are aggressively marketing their products to rescue service departments. The rescue service departments need independent research from oil spill sorbent materials. The data were collected from manufacturers and distributors. The absorbents were di-vided into two main divisions: mats and groats. In both groups the absorbents were cate-gorized by their materials: organic, inorganic and synthetic products. The absorbents were tested by light fuel oil for non-road and water use. The purpose was to find absorbents which are recommended for absorbing spills on land or water, and which absorbents are economical in use. The tests proved that there are big differences between absorbents and their cost-effectiveness. A contradiction was seen between manufacturers’ references to the pur-poses of use of absorbents and the results of the study.

Keywords

oil spill sorbent, economy Confidentiality

public

3

CONTENT

2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 6

3 RESEARCH QUESTION AND METHOD ....................................................................... 8

4 CLASSIFICATION OF ABSORBENTS .......................................................................... 9

4.1 Classification according to physical form ................................................................................................................. 9

4.2 Classification according to application ..................................................................................................................... 9

4.3 Classification according to production material .................................................................................................... 10

5 PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON ABSORBENTS .............................................................. 11

6 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESEARCH ................................................................... 13

6.1 The selection of research materials ......................................................................................................................... 13

6.2 The selection of the research protocol ..................................................................................................................... 14

6.3 Experiment arrangements ....................................................................................................................................... 14

6.4 Measuring the oil absorption capacity of absorbent mats .................................................................................... 15

6.5 Measuring the oil absorption capacity of granular absorbents ............................................................................ 16

6.6 Determining the water absorption capacity of the products ................................................................................. 16

6.7 Oil and water test ..................................................................................................................................................... 17

6.8 The manageability of the products .......................................................................................................................... 18

7.1 The research results of absorbent mats .................................................................................................................. 20 7.1.1 The oil absorption capacity of absorbent mats .................................................................................................... 20 7.1.2 The suitability of absorbent mats for absorption in water ................................................................................... 21 7.1.3 The manageability of absorbent mats ................................................................................................................. 21 7.1.4 The cost-efficiency of absorbent mats ................................................................................................................ 23

7.2 Research results for granular absorbents ............................................................................................................... 25 7.2.1 The oil absorption capacity of granular absorbents ............................................................................................. 25 7.2.2 The suitability of granular absorbents for absorption in water ............................................................................ 27 7.2.3 The manageability of the granular absorbents .................................................................................................... 27 7.2.4 The cost-efficiency of the granular absorbents ................................................................................................... 29

8 DISPOSAL OF THE ABSORPTION WASTE ............................................................... 30

9 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................... 31

LITERATURE .................................................................................................................... 34

4

APPENDICES

5

1 CONCEPTS

In this study, an absorbent refers to a product into which an oil-based or other liquid

chemical is absorbed.

An granular absorbent here means a granular product used for absorbing oil-based or

other chemicals.

An absorbent mat here refers to a solid product used for absorbing oil-based or other

chemicals.

The cost-efficiency of an absorbent here means the absorption capacity and purchase

price of the tested product, stated as a numerical value in units of euros / kg of ab-

sorbed oil.

A natural organic absorbent is, for example, peat, straw, peat moss, sawdust, wool or

flax (US EPA 2005).

A natural inorganic absorbent is, for example, clay, vermiculite, glass fibre, sand or

volcanic ash (US EPA 2005).

A synthetic absorbent is an industrially manufactured material such as polyurethane,

polyethene or polypropene (US EPA 2005).

6

2 INTRODUCTION

In the Act on Combating Oil Pollution on Land, an oil spill is defined as an accident or

harm, where oil which has leaked onto the ground or into water causes harm to humans

and the environment by contaminating, damaging or polluting the soil, water systems,

vegetation, fauna, equipment or structures. Environmental pollution or contamination

caused by other chemicals than oil can be defined correspondingly.

In Finland, the responsibilities of oil and chemical recovery are shared by the Ministry

of the Environment, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), the regional environ-

mental centres, the regional rescue authorities and the municipalities. The Ministry of

the Environment is responsible for the top level management and supervision of oil spill

response action. The Finnish Environment Institute operates under the Ministry, and is

charge of the general organising and development of the prevention of oil spills and ma-

ritime chemical spills. At open sea, or whenever the gravity of the situation calls for it,

the Finnish Environment Institute is also in charge of the combating of oil and chemical

spills. The regional environmental centres manage and supervise the organising of oil

spill prevention and also participate in the operations if needed. The various municipal

authorities and departments are required to participate in the prevention of oil spills and

when necessary, take care of the post-spill recovery.

The regional rescue authorities are required to take care of to the oil spill prevention in

their own area, and are obliged to provide executive assistance to the oil and chemical

spill prevention authorities (the Finnish Environment Institute in maritime areas). Each

regional rescue authority must have plans for oil spill prevention.

In 2003, there were a total of 2495 accidents involving hazardous materials in Finland,

out of which 2216 were oil spills (Pronto). In general, most road accidents involving

hazardous materials concern materials which by volume are transported the most. The

largest group of transports is flammable liquids (63 %) (TDG classification 3). The fol-

lowing groups in order of decreasing size are corrosive materials (TDG classification 8)

and gaseous substances (TDG classification 2) (Liikenne- ja viestintäministeriön julkai-

suja 26/2003).

7

One of the methods used in chemical spill recovery is the use of absorbent materials.

Primarily, the aim is to collect any liquid which has spilled onto a floor, ground or water

surface by pumping, scooping or with a liquid vacuum cleaner. In order to restrict the

amount of disposed recovery waste only small quantities of liquid, which could not be

collected in any other way, should be absorbed. (Tokeva-ohjeet 1996)

Rescue workers have so far not had up-to-date research information about the absorbent

materials available on the market. In the day-to-day operative work, information is

needed about the use and suitability of the products for the recovery operations carried

out by fire and rescue departments, as well as comparative research results on the total

cost-efficiency of these products. In addition, the dealers who advertise absorbent mate-

rials rarely have a broad knowledge of all the qualities of their products.

The goal of this study is to produce information about the qualities of absorbents in var-

ious types of uses as well as determine the absorption capacity and cost-efficiency of

the absorbents on the market. To some extent, the research protocol used in this study

follows the study conducted at the North Ostrobothnia Regional Environment Centre

(Kalliokoski & Palko 1995) as well as the sorbent testing protocol used in Canada

(Cooper & Keller 1992). A more detailed account of the studies can be found in Chap-

ter 5.

The initiative for this study came from my dear friend, Deputy Commander Marko

Hintsala at the fire station in Ylivieska, Finland. For a number of years, Hintsala has

been developing oil prevention methods and, in general, the preparedness for chemical

spills in the area managed by the Jokilaaksojen pelastuslaitos (fire and rescue depart-

ment in the Jokilaaksot region in northern Finland). Another inspiration for this study

was Administrative Officer Sakari Kalliokoski at the North Ostrobothnia Regional En-

vironment Centre. In 1995, he was part of a group testing oil spill recovery materials,

which also resulted in a published report (Kalliokoski & Palko 1995).

8

3 RESEARCH QUESTION AND METHOD

In this thesis work, an experimental research method is used. This method makes it

possible to examine a sample which has been chosen from a specific set and then ana-

lyse it through various test arrangements. The samples are analysed carefully and sys-

tematically while making changes to the test conditions. The results of the analysis are

recorded numerically, and presented as tables and figures. (Hirsijärvi et al. 1998, 130)

The research questions affect the choice of research method. The questions determine

what kind of data is needed and in what ways this data should be analysed so that the

questions can be answered. (Uusitalo 1996, 50)

The research questions of this study are:

- How much do the oil absorption capacities of various absorbent mats and granular

absorbents vary?

- How suitable are the examined products for oil absorption in different types of con-

ditions?

- Which products are the most cost-efficient for oil absorption?

The object of study is a group of products, whose practical properties we aim to deter-

mine. The behaviour of the studied products can be examined in situations simulating

the conditions in the field (Uusitalo 1996, 64).

9

4 CLASSIFICATION OF ABSORBENTS

Absorbents are materials which absorb oil-based or other liquid chemicals. Absorbent

products can be classified according to their physical form, purpose of use or production

material.

4.1 Classification according to physical form

Absorbent products can be divided into four groups according to their physical form:

Category I: mats, sheets, felts

Category II: loose material

Category III a: pillows and socks, where the absorbent material is

packed into a net or meshwork

Category III b: booms, where the absorbent material is formed into

oblong shapes

Category III c: mops

Category IV: agglomerations, threads, nets, which provide low resistance to

fluids with low viscosity. (Cooper & Keller 1992)

4.2 Classification according to application

Absorbents can be divided into four groups based on their intended application. These

groups describe the environmental context which is most appropriate for the each type of

product and where optimum absorption results, thus, are reached.

Class L-W: products recommended for absorption on land or in

water

Class L: products recommended for absorption on land only

Class W: products recommended for absorption in water only

Class I: products recommended for industrial use (aggressive

chemicals). (Cooper & Keller 1992)

1

4.3 Classification according to production material

Absorbents can be divided into three groups based on the production material:

Natural organic absorbents are, for example, peat, straw, peat moss, saw-

dust, wool and flax. Organic absorbents can retain oil 3-15 times their own

weight. Some organic materials absorb water as well as oil, and, thus, sink.

(US EPA 2005)

Natural inorganic absorbents are, for example, clay, vermiculite, glass fi-

bre, sand and volcanic ash. They can absorb oil up to 4-20 times their own

weight. These products are usually not suitable for absorption in water, be-

cause they sink. (US EPA 2005)

Synthetic absorbents are industrially manufactured materials such as po-

lyurethane, polyethene and polypropene. They are designed to absorb liq-

uids from their own surface (like a sponge). The other synthetic absorbents

contain merged polymers and rubber materials, which absorb liquids into

their structures and swell when used. Many synthetic absorbents can retain

oil up to 70 times their own weight. (US EPA 2005)

1

5 PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON ABSORBENTS

In the early 1990s, a market study on absorbents was conducted in Sweden. The purpose

of the study was to combine the data on usability for all products on the market. The ob-

jects of study were all products suitable for absorbing oil and chemicals. No comparative

research was done, as such, and the information on the product properties and absorption

capacity was based on the descriptions provided by the producers. (Räddningsverket 1991)

More extensive research on absorbents was conducted in Canada as early as in 1974, when

the Canadian Ministry of the Environment published the report ”Selection Criteria and

Laboratory Evaluation of Oil Spill Cleanup”. Producers and sellers were advertising their

products to the customers quite aggressively, and new products continuously arrived on

the market. A need was felt for research conducted by a third party. The goal was to create

a reliable and easy to repeat testing method, which could be used when testing the prod-

ucts advertised as oil absorbents, for use both in water and on land. All absorbent mate-

rials are suitable for testing. The Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) and the

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) also participated in the development

of the testing protocol. This protocol is the most highly recognized testing method of ab-

sorbents in North America. (Cooper & Keller 1992)

This testing process created by the Canadians can be used to classify the oil absorbents ac-

cording to their operative usability. The main categories are oil absorption in water; oil ab-

sorption on land; and suitability for absorption of aggressive chemicals in industrial use.

The products are tested for maximum absorption capacity, absorption of water, buoyancy,

reusability, capacity to retain absorbed fluid, durability of material, and collectability.

(Cooper & Keller 1992)

Absorbents used for oil spill recovery have not been studied very much in Finland. The

only research available was the comparative study done by the North Ostrobothnia Re-

gional Environment Centre in 1995. The study compared the water and oil absorption ca-

pacity, manageability and operative costs of the absorbent mats and granular absorbents

on the market at the time. 12 granular absorbents and 16 mats were included in the study.

The testing protocol mainly followed the Canadian protocol, although the report does not

1

mention the grounds upon which the testing methods were chosen. (Kalliokoski & Palko

1995)

The results of the studied absorption mats varied within the range of 2 - 12 kg oil/ m²

when oil was absorbed from an even surface. The absorption capacity of the mats was di-

rectly related to the thickness of the product: the thickest rock fibre mat and recycled wool

mat had the best oil absorption properties. No significant differences were observed be-

tween the oil absorption capacities of synthetic plastic materials and organic materials.

The best product proved to be the Green Oil mat, made of rock fibre. It still had some ab-

sorption capacity left even after the prescribed 10-minute testing period. (Kalliokoski &

Palko 1995)

The absorption capacity of the studied granular absorbents varied within the range of 270 -

530 kg oil/ m³. Peat had the best oil absorption capacity, and it was also very inexpensive.

Collecting the finer granular absorbents was found to be problematic. (Kalliokoski & Pal-

ko 1995)

Not all absorbent mats proved suitable for absorption from water surfaces. Some absorbed

water in addition to oil. Out of the studied sixteen mats, seven were found suitable for ab-

sorption in water. Among the tested were six polypropene-based products and one rock fi-

bre mat. The results varied within the range of 2.7 – 5.3 kg oil/m². Four of the granular ab-

sorbents were suitable for absorption in water. The difference between the best (Green

Oil) and the weakest product was almost double (290 kg/m³ - 560kg/m³). (Kalliokoski &

Palko 1995)

1

6 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESEARCH

6.1 The selection of research materials

The comparison of this study was aimed to be as comprehensive as possible. The aim

was to acquire samples for testing of all the oil granular absorbents and mats available

on the Finnish market. The actual project began in August, 2004 with a review on the

products available on the market, based on the product information collected by the

fire and rescue department of the Jokilaakso region in northern Finland, or Jokilaakso-

jen pelastuslaitos. Data was also collected from earlier research, from procurement

documents of the fire and rescue department, and from the retailers, both directly and

through online searches.

The producers and retailers of absorbents were contacted by phone and e-mail. Brief-

ings on the study were also given to the producers and importers who visited the 2004

Safety and Security Fair in Tampere, Finland (Appendix 1).

Acquiring products for testing proved to be very time-consuming. Many of the suppli-

ers had to be contacted several times and some products arrived as late as in June 2005,

after the testing period was finished.

32 types of absorbent mats were acquired for the study. Out of these, six were primari-

ly made of natural organic fiber (waste plant fibre, flax, wool, natural fiber). One of the

mats was made of natural inorganic material (rock wool) and twenty-five products

were made of synthetic materials. (Appendix 2/1)

21 different granular absorbent products were acquired. Four of these were mainly

made of natural organic fibre (peat, woodchip, moss), eleven were made of natural in-

organic materials (silicate, rock wool, diatomaceous earth, clay), and six of the prod-

ucts were made of synthetic materials. (Appendix 2/2)

1

6.2 The selection of the research protocol

Part of the planning of the study involved familiarising myself with the research done

by the North Ostrobothnia Regional Environment Centre (Kalliokoski & Palko 1995) as

well as the testing protocol used in Canada (Cooper & Keller 1992). The testing method

used in this study does not strictly follow either of the aforementioned testing protocols.

Compared to the testing done by the North Ostrobothnia Regional Environment Centre,

some changes to the test liquid were seen an necessary. Accident statistics and expe-

riences from hands-on rescue operations show that the most extensive absorption opera-

tions (by volume) are related to spill accidents of light fuel oil.

The testing protocol which is in use in Canada proved to be too broad for this study.

The resources and equipment as well as the testing environment available for this study

were much more constricted.

6.3 Experiment arrangements

The research equipment was tested prior to the actual tests, in order to ensure equal

measuring procedures for all the products. During the pre-test, the suitability of the size

and quantity of the test pieces on the chosen testing equipment was also verified.

The absorption tests were conducted indoors at a temperature of approximately +17°C.

An electronic scale with an accuracy of 5 grams was used for the weighing. The test

containers were white plastic vessels of foodstuff quality with capacities of 5 – 90 litres.

The size of the net used for weighing the mats was 300 mm x 400 mm, with a mesh size

of 10 mm. The net funnel used for weighing the granular absorbents had a capacity of

approximately 5 litres. (Image 1)

1

Image 1. The measuring equipment used in the study

The test fluid used for measuring the absorption capacity of the products was Tempera

green -5/-15 engine fuel oil with a density of 820 kg/m³ (15° C) and a viscosity of 2.00

mm²/s.

6.4 Measuring the oil absorption capacity of absorbent mats

The weighing scale used for the study (Image 1) was reset. The dry test pieces (250 mm

x 250 mm) were placed onto a horisontally hanging net, which was mounted below the

scale. The dry weights of the test pieces were measured and the acquired results were

recorded. The weighing scale was reset, after which the test pieces were taken off the

net, placed into a container filled with light fuel oil and was left to soak until fully satu-

rated, however, for a minimum of one minute. When saturated, each test piece was re-

moved from the liquid and weighed after 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 minutes of straining. The

weight measured after one minute of straining was chosen for the comparison of the

products' cost-efficiency. Through this procedure, the weights of the test pieces were

measured as accurately as possible in this soaking test.

The test pieces were, then, hung vertically on a ”clothes line” for 25 minutes, after

which they were weighed once more. The dry weight was subtracted from the result of

the weighing, giving the weight of the absorbed fuel oil. The test results were entered

into the test sheet of the product (Appendix 3). The main purpose of weighing the mats

1

was to gather data on the absorption capacity of the products when they were handled

by machine and moved to their final location.

6.5 Measuring the oil absorption capacity of granular absorbents

The weighing scale (Image 1) used in the study was reset. 200 g of absorbent granular

absorbent was measured and put into a metal sieve, which was hung below the scale.

The scale was reset and the product in the sieve was put into the container filled with

light fuel oil and then left to become saturated, however, for a minimum of three mi-

nutes. The saturated test piece was removed from the liquid and weighed after 0, 1, 2, 3,

4 and 5 minutes. The test results were entered into the product test sheet (Appendix 4).

The weighing result which was measured after one minute of straining was chosen for

the comparison of the products' cost-efficiency. In this way, the weight of the test piece

was measured as accurately as possible in this soaking test.

6.6 Determining the water absorption capacity of the products

The products were floated on the surface of the water for fifteen (15) minutes (Image 2).

Of the inorganic products, only Green Oil floated. The other products sank and were,

thus, not deemed suitable for absorption in water. The products which were visibly ab-

sorbing water were not weighed. The products which could not otherwise be determined

to clearly have become soaked were weighed. The test results were recorded on the

product test sheet (Appendices 3 and 4).

1

Image 2. The products were floated in order to establish their water absorption capacity

6.7 Oil and water test

The oil and water test was conducted on all products, with the exception of the inorgan-

ic granular absorbents as they do not float on water. The material to be tested was put

into a water container (5 litres), which contained 4 litres of water and 0.5 litres of fuel

oil. In this part of the test, the absorbent mats were cut into pieces of 250 mm x 125

mm, because the larger test piece used earlier would not have been able to float freely in

the test container (Image 3). The amount of granular absorbents used was 0.5 litres per

product (Image 4). The purpose of the test was to observe the behaviour of the tested

material in an environment simulating a situation of absorption. The products floated

freely for 15 minutes, after which they were stirred by hand. The buoyancy of the prod-

ucts was checked again after the treatment. The test results were recorded on the prod-

uct test sheet (Appendices 3 and 4).

1

Image 3. The buoyancy of the absorbent mats was tested with an oil and wa-

ter test.

Image 4. The buoyancy of the granular absorbents was tested with an oil

and water test.

6.8 The manageability of the products

1

When testing the manageability of the products, their dusting properties was assessed on

a scale of ”no – somewhat – yes”, how easy they were to cut on a scale of ”easy –

somewhat difficult – difficult”, and durability when saturated on a scale of ”durable –

can be collected – weak”. The review was done without any measuring equipment. The

purpose was to locate the products which are problematic mainly in regard to certain

qualities. The test results were recorded on the product test sheet (Appendices 3 and 4).

2

7 RESEARCH RESULTS

7.1 The research results of absorbent mats

7.1.1 The oil absorption capacity of absorbent mats

When absorbing light fuel oil, all test pieces were saturated rather quickly. In the as-

sessment of oil absorption capacity, the value measured after one minute of straining,

was used. During the pre-testing of the products, it was established that it is difficult to

accurately determine the weight of a mat immediately after it has been removed from

the test liquid, because the liquid trickling from the measuring grill and the surface of

the product causes a rapid change in the measurements. After draining the product for a

minute, accurate measurements can be taken. Due to the variation in thickness of the

absorbent mats also the oil absorption capacity varied a lot, within the range of 1.76 –

21.68 kg/ m². The highest oil absorption capacity, with a significant lead, was held by

the Green Oil mat (Images 5 and 6).

Image 5. Organic and inorganic mats, oil absorption capacity kg/m²

Orgaaniset ja epäorgaaniset matot-imukyky kg/ m2

0,00

5,00

10,00

15,00

20,00

25,00

Korves LKvillakangasmatto

JYKA-Oil CC-Oil Mat JYREMARK Eko Biofonte Pad Biofonte Pellava Green Oil

Epäorgaaninen

Orgaaniset tuotteet

Vettä imevät tuotteet

Ei ime vettä

2

Image 6. Synthetic products, oil absorption capacity kg/m²

7.1.2 The suitability of absorbent mats for absorption in water

Out of the studied thirty-two absorbent mats, ten are suitable for absorption in water.

These ten products do not visibly absorb water. Among the tested products were mats

which were recommended by the producers for oil absorption on land and in water,

however, during the water test the test pieces sank in less than 15 minutes (Table 1).

7.1.3 The manageability of absorbent mats

Most of the mats do not visibly give off dust when handled. Only a few products give

off some dust, namely Biofonte Pellava, Jyremark Eko and Green Oil (Table 1).

The thick and porous Green Oil mat was the only product which could be described as

hard to cut. A moderate grade was given to Jyka-Oil, CC-Oil Mat, Jyremark Eko, Bio-

fonte Pellava and the OilStop products Super, Medium and Lite (Table 1).

Synteettiset matot-imukyky kg/ m2

0,00

1,00

2,00

3,00

4,00

5,00

6,00

7,00

8,00

JYREMARK PP

Pig SR 30

41

Pig SR 30

43

PIG® E

COSTAR

PIG O

il-HW

MAT53

0

PIG O

il-HW

MAT52

5

PIG W

RL50H

Werk W

O76

Werk W

O96

Rip.n F

it DO19

1

Solven

t

OilStop

Med

ium

OilStop

Sup

er

OilStop

TriA

ct

OilStop

Lite

KEMA CC-C

ompa

ny

Ecosa

fe, D

afeco

r

JYREMARK K

ier.ku

itu

Pig AR 10

43

PIG U

nivers

al-HW M

AT202

PIG M

at 41

2

PIG H

az- M

at 30

9

Werk W

H4151

4 in 1

roll D

0192

Werk Trac

kmat

JEFEX

Vettä imemättömät tuotteet

vettä imevät tuotteet

2

The durability of the products varied greatly. When the test materials were saturated

with the test liquid, the differences in durability increased. The lowest scoring as regard

to durability were the products made of organic or recycled materials, and Green Oil

(Table 1).

Table 1. Qualities of the compared mats

COMAPRE OF THE USAGE OF THE PRODUCTS

Handling of the product Dusting Cutting Strength/ dry

Absorbs water

Floating fully saturated with oil strength fully

saturated no easy durable no yes durable some moderate collectable collectable yes difficult weak yes no weak

Organic products: Korves LK villakangasmatto JYKA-Oil CC-Oil Mat JYREMARK EKO Biofonte Pad Biofonte Pellava Inorganic products: Green Oil Synthetic products: JYREMARK PP Pig pe3041 durable + Pig pe3043 PIG® ECOSTAR PIG Oil-HW MAT525 PIG Oil-HW MAT530 PIG WRL50H Werk WO76 Werk WO96 Rip.n Fit DO191 Solvent OilStop Super OilStop Medium OilStop TriAct OilStop Lite KEMA CC-Company Ecosafe, Dafecor JYREMARK Kier.kuitu Pig pe1043 PIG Universal-HW MAT202 PIG Mat 412 PIG Haz- Mat 309 Werk WH4151 4 in 1 roll D0192 Werk Trackmat JEFEX

2

7.1.4 The cost-efficiency of absorbent mats

The most cost-efficient mat of all the tested products was Green Oil, with a result of

0.22 €/ kg of oil. Next came the Oil Stop products, with Medium at 0.26 € / kg of oil

and Super at 0.29 € / kg of oil (Table 2).

Of the products suitable for absorption from water surfaces, Green Oil was the most

economic at 0.22 €/ kg of oil. The next most cost-efficient products were Jyremark PP

at 0.51 € / kg of oil and Pig SR 3041 at 0.65 €/kg of oil (Table 2).

2

Table 2. The cost-efficiency of the compared mats

The cost-efficiency of the compared mats

Product: dry Capacity kg/m2 capacity / capacity / Price €/ oil Kg

weight/ kg 1 min.

30 min dry weight dry weight €/m2 1 min. 30 min.

(1 min) (30 min) Organic products: JYKA-Oil 0,32 5,36 1,20 16,8 3,8 2,36 0,44 1,97Korves LK villakangasmatto 0,56 8,32 2,16 14,9 3,9 3,78 0,45 1,75CC-Oil Mat 0,56 6,24 1,68 11,1 3,0 3,2 0,51 1,90JYREMARK Eko 0,32 3,76 0,72 11,8 2,3 2,3 0,61 3,19Biofonte Pad 0,32 3,20 2,24 10,0 7,0 0,00 0,00Biofonte Pellava 0,88 9,76 0,96 11,1 1,1 0,00 0,00Inorganic products: Green Oil 0,88 21,68 3,44 24,6 3,9 4,8 0,22 1,40Synthetic products: does not absorb water JYREMARK PP 0,32 5,04 0,88 15,8 2,8 2,58 0,51 2,93Pig SR 3041 0,32 4,40 2,32 13,8 7,3 2,84 0,65 1,22Pig SR 3043 0,4 3,76 1,52 9,4 3,8 3,67 0,98 2,41PIG® ECOSTAR 0,16 2,48 1,36 15,5 8,5 2,71 1,09 1,99PIG Oil-HW MAT530 0,4 3,44 2,24 8,6 5,6 4,92 1,43 2,20PIG Oil-HW MAT525 0,24 1,76 0,96 7,3 4,0 2,49 1,41 2,59PIG WRL50H 0,16 1,84 0,72 11,5 4,5 3 1,63 4,17Werk WO76 0,4 2,96 1,68 7,4 4,2 8,08 2,73 4,81Werk WO96 0,32 2,64 1,52 8,3 4,8 8,67 3,28 5,70Rip.n Fit DO191 0,4 3,60 2,16 9,0 5,4 14,6 4,06 6,76Solvent 0,24 3,12 0,48 13,0 2,0 0,00 0,00Synthetic products: absorbs also water OilStop Medium 0,4 6,96 2,56 17,4 6,4 1,84 0,26 0,72OilStop Super 0,48 5,84 1,60 12,2 3,3 1,71 0,29 1,07OilStop TriAct 0,64 6,72 2,12 10,5 3,3 2,54 0,38 1,20OilStop Lite 0,4 4,72 1,92 11,8 4,8 1,94 0,41 1,01KEMA CC-Company 0,48 6,96 2,48 14,5 5,2 3,17 0,46 1,28Ecosafe, Dafecor 0,16 2,24 1,04 14,0 6,5 1,23 0,55 1,18JYREMARK Kier.kuitu 0,16 3,60 0,72 22,5 4,5 2,13 0,59 2,96Pig AR 1043 0,4 4,32 1,44 10,8 3,6 3,79 0,88 2,63PIG Universal-HW MAT202 0,4 3,20 2,16 8,0 5,4 4,31 1,35 2,00PIG Mat 412 0,4 2,72 1,68 6,8 4,2 4,74 1,74 2,82PIG Haz- Mat 309 0,4 3,52 2,40 8,8 6,0 6,44 1,83 2,68Werk WH4151 0,32 3,12 1,76 9,8 5,5 14,1 4,51 7,994 in 1 roll D0192 0,4 3,60 2,24 9,0 5,6 15,2 4,22 6,78Werk Trackmat 0,4 2,56 1,28 6,4 3,2 24 9,36 18,72JEFEX 0,63 6,32 2,96 10,0 4,7 0,00 0,00

2

7.2 Research results for granular absorbents

7.2.1 The oil absorption capacity of granular absorbents

In the light fuel oil absorption test, every test batch was fully saturated rather quickly.

As with the absorbent mats, after a minute of straining, it was possible to acquire accu-

rate measuring results for all products. When determining the oil absorption capacity,

the numerical value measured after one minute of straining was used. Due to the varia-

tions in porosity of the oil absorbent groats, also their oil absorption capacities varied

significantly, within the range of 1.56 – 8.75 kg/ kg of oil.

The most oil absorbing products were Pig AR 2082 at 8.75 kg/ kg, Green Oil at 8.65 kg/

kg, Pig SR 3082 at 8.35 kg/ kg, and Fixol at 7.86 kg / kg. (Images 7, 8 and 9)

Image 7. The absorpion capacity of organic granular absorbents kg/kg of oil

Orgaanisten rouheiden imukyky kg/ kg

1,00

1,50

2,00

2,50

3,00

3,50

4,00

4,50

5,00

5,50

Finnsorb-400 Oil-Off Eco-Oil Eater Cansorb WCB18

2

Image 8. The absorption capacity of inorganic granular absorbents, kg/kg of oil

Image 9. The absorption capacity of synthetic granular absorbents, kg/kg of oil

Synteettisten rouheiden Imukyky kg/ kg

0,00

1,00

2,00

3,00

4,00

5,00

6,00

7,00

8,00

9,00

10,00

Fixol Pig AR 2082 Pig SR 3082 Sanol RockfordOver The

Top

Purabsan Solvent 2056

Epäorgaanisten rouheiden Imukyky kg / kg

0,00

1,00

2,00

3,00

4,00

5,00

6,00

7,00

8,00

9,00

10,00

Green-O

il

Absodan

Unive

rsal

Imuhirm

u

Absodan

Plus

Absodan

Super Plus

Absol

Korves Ö

ljyka

rsta

Oil-Dri C

hemSorb

Sorbix

standard

Rockford

Hyd

rate

2

7.2.2 The suitability of granular absorbents for absorption in water

Five of the products are suitable for absorption from water surfaces. These five prod-

ucts, Finnsorb-400, Cansorb WCB 18, Green Oil, Pig SR 3082 and Sanol, do not visibly

absorb water. It should be noted, however, that even in this small-scale test it was ob-

served that collecting the Finnsorb-400 and Cansorb products from water is problemat-

ic. In addition, the before-mentioned products really muddled the test liquid and stuck to

the walls of the test containers when mixed with fuel oil (Image 10, Table 3).

Image 10. Cansorb sticks to the walls of the test containers

7.2.3 The manageability of the granular absorbents

During handling of the granular absorbents, most of the products were noted to visibly

give off dust. All products can be collected from land using regular equipment. When

collecting the granular absorbents from water, special equipment (sieve etc.) is required,

or at least beneficial. Green Oil and Pig SR 3082 float on the water surface in solid

lumps and, thus, the products were easy to collect, at least in this small-scale test (Table

3).

2

Table 3. The qualities of the compared granular absorbents

The qualities of the compared granular absor-bents Dusting: Collectability Collectability Applications / Product: from land: from water: water absorbtion no easy easy water/dry land some collectable collectable yes difficult difficult dry land Organic products: Finnsorb-400, turve Collectability? Oil-Off Eco-Oil Eater Cansorb WCB18 Collectability? Inorganic products: Green-Oil Absodan Universal not suitable Imuhirmu not suitable Absodan Plus not suitable Absodan Super Plus not suitable Absol not suitable Korves Öljykarsta not suitable Oil-Dri ChemSorb not suitable Sorbix standard not suitable Rockford Hydrate not suitable Solvent 2056 not suitable Synthetic products: Fixol Pig AR 2082 Pig SR 3082 Sanol Rockford Over The Top not suitable Purabsan

2

7.2.4 The cost-efficiency of the granular absorbents

The most cost-efficient granular absorbent of the test was Finnsorb-400, with a result of

0.19 €/ kg of oil. Next were Absodan Universal 0.26 €/ kg of oil and Imuhirmu 0.29 € /

kg of oil.

Among the granular absorbents suitable for absorption in water, Green Oil was the most

efficient at 0.31 €/ kg of oil. The other products were Pig SR 3082 at 0.69 €/ kg of oil

and Sanol at 0.78 €/ kg of oil.

Table 4. The cost-efficiency of compared granular absorbents

The cost-efficiency of compared granular absorbents Product: Capacity Capacity / Price €/kg cost-efficiency kg/kg 1 min. dryweight €/Kg oil Organic products: Finnsorb-400 5,03 5,0 0,94 0,19 Oil-Off 4,35 4,4 1,83 0,42 Eco-Oil Eater 4,45 4,5 3,00 0,67 Cansorb WCB18 4,45 4,5 7,91 1,78 Inorganic products: Absodan Universal 2,00 2,0 0,51 0,26 Imuhirmu 2,15 2,2 0,63 0,29 Green-Oil 8,65 8,7 2,72 0,31 Absol 1,99 2,0 0,64 0,32 Absodan Plus 2,13 2,1 0,72 0,34 Absodan Super Plus 2,16 2,2 0,74 0,34 Korves Öljykarsta 1,78 1,8 0,72 0,40 Oil-Dri ChemSorb 1,94 1,9 3,50 1,80 Sorbix Standard 1,59 1,6 0,00 Rockford Hydrate 2,12 2,1 0,00 Solvent 2056 1,74 1,7 0,00 Synthetic products: Fixol 7,86 7,9 4,50 0,57 Pig AR 2082 8,75 8,8 5,22 0,60 Pig SR 3082 8,35 8,4 5,74 0,69 Sanol 5,80 5,8 4,50 0,78 Rockford Over The Top 1,56 1,6 22,69 14,54 Purabsan 2,95 3,0 0,00

3

8 DISPOSAL OF THE ABSORPTION WASTE

After use, the absorbent mainly comprises oil waste, which must be disposed of accord-

ing to the current environmental regulations. The treatment of oil waste inevitably caus-

es expenses, which can be quite significant in large-scale spills.

In Finland, in the case of oil spills, the principle followed is that the polluter pays. This

means that whoever has caused the spill is liable to compensate the costs of the recovery

measures and the caused damages. A specific oil pollution compensation fund has been

founded for oil spill recovery and preparation measures. This fund takes care of the

costs of oil spill recovery if the person who caused the spill is unknown or unable to pay

for the damages (Ympäristöministeriö).

When working on this project, I inquired about the final treatment costs of absorption

waste from the waste disposal company Jokilaaksojen Jäte Oy, which forwarded my in-

quiry to another company, Iisalmen Keräysöljy Oy. According to Iisalmen Keräysöljy

Oy, a used absorbent is always seen as solid oil-based waste, which means that the fee

is 0.47 €/ kg + VAT, if it contains absorbed oil. If the absorption waste contains fuel,

solvents or paint thinners, the fee for solid paint waste is applied, namely 1.09 € / kg +

VAT. When the absorbent contains acids, the fee is approximately 1.93 € / kg + VAT,

depending on the amount and quality of the acid.

According to Jokilaaksojen Jäte Oy, soil contaminated by oil has two fixed price

classes. Soil containing less than 1000 mg/kg oil costs 17.62 €/t and soil containing

1000 - 2000 mg/kg costs 31.15 €/t. Soil containing more than 2000 mg/kg oil, or soil

contaminated by some other substance than oil are always priced on a case by case ba-

sis.

These replies tell us that there is no straightforward way to determine the cost for ab-

sorption waste disposal for each product. Oil-based waste is always priced on a case by

case basis. The effect of the absorbent material on the costs of waste disposal varies de-

pending on which service provider one asks. There is, however, some price information

available, tied to certain limit values.

3

9 DISCUSSION

The circumstances where absorbents are needed in rescue operations vary greatly. Res-

cue operations mostly take place outdoors, but absorption operations are also done in-

doors at times. Outdoors, the absorption is done on land or in water. The quantity of liq-

uid to be absorbed can also vary to a great extent.

In chemical spill recovery operations, the tactical rule is that the amount of liquid which

has leaked onto a floor, onto land or into water, and the qualities of these surfaces

should determine how the liquid recovered: primarily by pumping, scooping or with a

fluid vacuum cleaner. In order to restrict the amount of spill recovery waste, only small

amounts of liquids, which cannot be collected in any other way, should be absorbed.

The use of absorbents also comes into question in situations when one wants to stop the

spread of a hazardous, liquid chemical by binding the leaking chemical to the absorbent.

After having tested the products, the conclusion was that for chemical spill recovery, a

fire and rescue department should reserve absorbents for at least three different uses: oil

absorption on land, oil spill recovery in water, and absorption of other hazardous chem-

icals.

Almost all absorbents available on the market are suitable for oil absorption on land.

The most cost-efficient granular absorbents are Finnsorb-400 (0.19 €/ kg of oil) and Ab-

sodan Universal (0.26 €/ kg of oil). The most economic oil absorbent mats are the Green

Oil mat (0.22 €/ kg of oil), the Oil Stop Medium (0.26 € / kg of oil) and the Oil Stop

Super (0.29 € / kg of oil).

When oil products are absorbed from water surfaces, the requirements on the absorbent

increase. In order for the absorption capacity to be fully directed at the product to be ab-

sorbed, the absorbent must not absorb any water. In addition, the product must float on

the water surface even when saturated with the absorbed substance. Easy collectibility is

also important when absorbing from water surfaces.

The test determined that some of the water-absorbing products float on the water sur-

face, if they are first saturated by a chemical lighter than water (oil and water test). This

3

order of exposure can, however, not be guaranteed when the absorbing is done in natu-

ral settings, where the amount and location of the chemical to be absorbed vary. The

most cost-efficient for absorption in water is Finnsorb-400 (0.19 €/ kg of oil) or the

Green Oil mat (0.22 €/ kg of oil). However, with its qualities and especially for its easy

collectibility, the Green Oil mat is clearly the better option for absorption in water.

Finnsorb-400 floated near the surface even when saturated with fuel oil. However, the

product visbly muddles the liquid below the surface and sticks to the walls of the expe-

riment container. If the requirements on the products are easy collectibility during ab-

sorption on water surfaces and great durability when handled by machine, the best

choice is Pig SR 3041 (0.65 €/ kg of oil).

When determining the cost-efficiency of the products, the costs of disposing of the ab-

sorbents are difficult to take into consideration. The costs are dependent on at least the

amount of oil in the absorbent, the material of the absorbent and also on other costs of

the final disposal such as intermediate storing and transportation. As one of the respon-

dents stated, the price of the absorption waste is usually determined on a case-by-case

basis.

In this study, the cost-efficiency of the absorbents is defined as the numerical value

comprising of the absorption capacity and purchase price of the tested product. In the

future, the comparison of cost-efficiency will take into consideration significantly

broader contexts. When assessing the total cost-efficiency of the product, the following

should e.g. be considered: the quality of the product or service, its operating costs, tech-

nical solutions, service and availability, delivery time, reliability of delivery, and envi-

ronmental aspects or factors relating to energy-saving factors. In the near future, the

social and environmental aspects will be emphasised even more in the assessment of the

total cost-efficiency of received offers.

While doing my thesis work, I encountered a few issues which slowed down the process

and are worth mentioning:

• The selection of absorbents on the market changes relatively quickly. The ab-

sorbents which are used at the fire stations can no longer be found on the mar-

ket, or the product which was acquired from the importer for testing has not

been taken up for sale.

3

• Some producers and retailers were very slow at sending in their products for

testing. For this reason, a few products did not make it to the testing sessions of

this study at all.

• The importer was not able to give the price information about all the products

he represented, so an offer had to be requested from the retailer in Finland.

• For some of the products, the seller found it very difficult to determine the

price/kg, if the only price available was stated as price/litre. In this study, the

absorption capacity was measured by how many kilograms of engine fuel oil

one kilogram of granular absorbents absorbs, or how many kilograms of engine

fuel oil one square metre of an absorbent mat absorbs.

The study brought up many interesting opportunities for further research: testing absor-

bents in conditions simulating natural conditions, the chemical durability and absorption

capacity of absorbents, and a focussed study on the methods of waste disposal and the

costs of used absorbent materials. Preparing a absorbent-related training package or

publication would also be an interesting and natural follow-up for my project.

3

LITERATURE

Cooper, D. & Keller, L. 1992. Proceedings of the fifteenth arctic and marine oil spill

program technical seminar. Environment Canada. Ottawa. Canada. Online document.

http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/180/180AC.PDF. June 8th, 2004.

Hirsijärvi, S. Remes, P. & Sajavaara, P. 1998. Tutki ja kirjoita. Tammer-Paino Oy.

Tampere.

Kalliokoski, S. & Palko, J. 1995. Öljyntorjuntamateriaalien testaus, Handout. Pohjois-

Pohjanmaan Ympäristökeskus (the North Ostrobothnia Regional Environment Centre).

Oulu.

Räddningsverket (Swedish Rescue Services Agency). Sorptionsmedel. Marknadsun-

dersökning (Market research). 6/91R.

Tokeva-ohjeet. Pelastusopisto (the Emergency Services College). Online document.

http://www.pelastusopisto.fi/tokeva/2.pdf1996. May 18th, 2005.

Uusitalo, H. 1996. Tiede, tutkimus ja tutkielma. Johdatus tutkielman maailmaan.

WSOY:n graafiset laitokset. Juva.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Online document.

http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/sorbents.htm. July 10th, 2004.

Vaarallisten aineiden tiekuljetusonnettomuudet Suomessa 1997–2002. Liikenne- ja viestintäministeriön julkaisuja 26/2003 (Road transportation accidents involving ha-zardous substances in Finland 1997-2002, Publications of the Ministry of Transport and Communications). Helsinki.

Ympäristöministeriö (Ministry of the Environment in Finland), Öljy- ja kemikaalivahin-

kojen torjunta (Combating oil and chemical spills). Online document.

http://www.ymparisto.fi/default.asp?contentid=129877&lan=fi . Novem-

ber, 5th, 2005.

3