oa Nanoparticle-Enhanced Hydrophobic Vegetable Loofah for Eco-Friendly Remediation of Oil Spill at Different Weathering Stages

Oil spills can occur in different water bodies, such as oceans, rivers, and bays, leading to significant environmental damage, especially to marine wildlife. When an oil spill occurs, the first action involved is the immediate removal of the oil layer from the surface of the water, normally using containment booms. After that, other methods are used to remove the remaining oil spill. This can be done, for example, by using pumps that remove oil mixed with water. This process is costly and time-consuming, as it generates a large volume of oily water that needs to be treated before disposal. In order to solve these problems, in this project we developed a new technology, using low-cost material (vegetable loofah) functionalized with nanoparticles, which can be used both as a containment barrier and to remove the remaining oil droplets without carrying water during the cleaning phase.