17 Ways to Clean Up the Gulf Oil Spill Learning Check

Chemical dispersants pull apart oil particles suspended in water, reducing the oil slick to droplets that can be degraded by naturally occurring bacteria.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

NGSS.MS-PS1-3

A controlled burn is a method that can be used at any time after a large oil spill in the ocean.

• True

• False

Bioremediation, a potential low-impact cleaning technique, uses microorganisms and their enzymes to facilitate decomposition. Which two of the following are used to facilitate decomposition.

• nitrate fertilizers

• sulfate fertilizers

• potassium fertilizers

• phosphates

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS2-4

NGSS.HS-LS2-6

Select the statement that is not true regarding the use of gelling agents for oil spill cleanup.

• Using the motion of the sea, the gelling agent turns the oil into a rubbery substance that can be easily removed from water with nets, suction devices or skimmers.

• Three times as much gelling agent as oil is needed for the desired effect to take place.

• This technique requires the use of remote vehicles to apply the chemicals, which may be less effective at extreme depths.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

Which of the following is not a proposed clean up method?

• Beeswax

• Human Hair

• Pig Skin

• Hay

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

Relying on natural forces and “doing nothing” in a viable option in some cases because it is best for the environmental.

• True

• False

Several devices have been proposed to BP that can separate oil from water. The drawback of this method is that it can only clean small volumes of water at a time.

• False

• True

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

During this process, known as bioremediation, which of the following is not used in this process?

• yeast

• chemical agents

• fertilizers

• microorganisms