how are oil slicks cleared up and how can they be prevented?

Answer 1

the ones in the ocean?? the waves break up most of them larger ones are skimmed off they have a big roller thing that picks it up and clears it off they have floats that contain it

as far as what causes it most are natural as the ocean floor leaks all the time some are caused by man like when a ship breaks up we cant cure the natural ones if we find the natural ones and they aren't to deep and the oil pool is large engulf and the enviremels will let us we can drill them and drain them that will help to clear them up and make the envirement cleaner but you wont here that from them as they want the drilling to stop

Answer 2

I am assuming you mean oil spots on your driveway that come from your car dripping? If that is the case you can put down some oil absorbed in the puddle. There is bags of oil absorbent at most stores or you can use cat litter, they are both pretty much the same thing. After you have absorbed most of the oil you can then sweep up the absorbent to be disposed. After that you can find some products specifically designed to clean up your driveway, or you could just use powder laundry detergent with a garden hose and push broom to scrub the driveway clean. As far as how to prevent them really depends on the cause of them. If something is leaking you need to get it fixed, or you will always have a drip spot. One last option if you can not stop the leak is to place a drip pan under your car, these can be found at most auto parts stores.

Answer 3

I assume you are talking about oil slicks at sea, or perhaps in rivers. Oil slicks in the sea can be dispersed by using detergents. But often these are more environmentally damaging than the oil itself. If the oil is light, and the sea is "choppy" then best leave the oil to volatilize and disperse naturally. Heavier oils are more difficult to deal with - you'll end up scraping the stuff off beaches manually. However, eventually even this will naturally biodegrade, leaving residual tar. Bear in mind that it takes much longer for oil to biodegrade in cold temperatures (for example the Russian permafrost, or in Alaska), whereas in warmer climates the process can be surprisingly fast, with slicks known to disperse in a matter of weeks.

You can never prevent oil slicks. But you can mitigate against them. Have good emergency standby services (with flotation booms that can trap the oil). Use well-engineered double-hulled oil tankers that can withstand accidents. Use established safe maritime practises. Enforce the law, and punish those who deliberately clean out their ship's oil (bilge) tanks when they think no-one is watching (use satellite technology!).

It's worth remembering that statistically, most oil pollution doesn't arise from catastrophic tanker accidents, oil rigs, blow-outs etc. Most oil pollution arises via deliberate flouting of the law (ships cleaning out bilge tanks) or via low-level concentrations of oil in river run-off. By itself this might seem insignificant, but it adds up to a hell of a lot!

Answer 4

I think people put cat litter on it to soak up oil. prevention.. umm.. can't answer that because i need more details like what kind of oil slick.. from a crappy car, etc.

Answer 5

I think you mean , How are oil spots cleared up etc.>>>>>>
Make an appointment to have your car looked at for this<<<<<
Then use some oil dry to clean up ( Get this at your local
hardware store) directions on bag ....................................
...............Have a slick day................................................
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