'Sponge of the sea': Israeli researchers develop aerogel that captures, breaks down oil spills
BGU researchers created an aerogel that could capture oil spills while helping oil-eating bacteria degrade the pollutants.
Israeli researchers have developed a novel technology utilizing aerogels to capture and break down oil spills in marine and aquatic environments. This breakthrough technology, created at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Beersheba, offers a promising solution for both immediate containment and long-term environmental recovery.
Oil spills are a significant concern, with thousands of minor incidents occurring annually during routine activities such as refueling ships, pipeline leaks, and equipment failures on land. While major tanker spills have decreased by over 90% since the 1970s, spills still pose a severe threat to marine life and delicate coastal habitats. In fact, natural seepage from rocks on the seafloor accounts for about 40% to 50% of all oceanic oil pollution.
The most recent major spill in Israel occurred in February 2021 when an undisclosed amount of crude oil contaminated roughly 160 kilometers of the country's 195-kilometer coastline. This disaster severely impacted marine wildlife, including sea turtles and birds, which were seen covered in tar and succumbing to the environmental catastrophe.
The BGU aerogel technology, developed by a team led by Prof. Ariel Kushmaro and Dr. Danit Lisa Karsagi Biron, has shown remarkable success in lab experiments. The porous aerogel, made from cellulose fibers enriched with nitrogen and phosphorus, can adsorb approximately 80 to 100 times its own mass in crude oil, fuel, tar, and other hydrocarbons. Crucially, these nutrients support oil-degrading bacteria, enabling the material to not only capture pollutants but also facilitate their subsequent biological breakdown.
The researchers created the aerogel using nutrient enrichment, freeze-drying, and pyrolysis (thermal decomposition of organic materials at high temperatures) in the absence of oxygen. This process prevents combustion while allowing the bacteria to attach to the aerogel's surface, bringing them into close contact with the adsorbed hydrocarbons and the nutrients they require.
This system creates conditions that support the microbial breakdown of the captured pollutants, potentially minimizing the need to remove and dispose of the contaminated adsorption material after treatment.
The technology is currently undergoing patent recognition through BGN Technologies, BGU's technology commercialization company. Prof. Kushmaro, who earned his doctorate from Tel Aviv University and trained at the Hebrew University and Harvard University, has been involved in various oil spill studies in Israel. His team published their findings in Chemical Engineering Journal Advances, highlighting the innovative approach of creating a habitat for oil-eating bacteria within the aerogel, allowing capture and biological cleanup to occur simultaneously.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
