Booms & Skimmers
What is the main purpose of a boom?
Contain oil / prevent spreading
What is a sorbent?
(Material that soaks up oil)
What do dispersants do to oil?
(Break it into tiny droplets)
What is bioaccumulation?
(Buildup of toxins in one organism over time)
What is biomagnification?
(The increase of toxins up the food chain)
What do skimmers do with oil?
(Collect / remove it from water)
Name one sorbent we used in our lab.
(Paper towels, cotton balls, coffee filters, sponges)
Why does breaking oil into smaller droplets help?
Because smaller droplets spread out in the water, can be broken down faster by natural processes and bacteria, and are less likely to clog things like sinks or filters
True or False – Bioaccumulation happens in one single organism.
True
Which organisms usually end up with the highest toxin levels?
(Top predators)
Where are booms placed during an oil spill?
(On the surface of the water around the spill or shoreline)
How is using sorbents different from using bioremediation?
(Sorbents soak up oil but create waste to throw away; bioremediation uses living things to break pollutants down naturally.)
What is one drawback of chemical dispersants?
(They can hurt fish and other sea animals)
Name one toxin that can bioaccumulate.
(Oil chemicals, mercury, pesticides)
In this food chain — small fish → big fish → bird — which has the most toxins?
(The bird)
Why do skimmers sometimes clog?
(Debris in water... something other than oil)
True or False – Sorbents can be natural or synthetic.
True
True or False – Dispersants remove oil from the water.
(False; they spread it out)
Why is bioaccumulation dangerous?
(Because it leads to biomagnification, where animals higher in the food chain end up with high toxin levels)
Why is biomagnification dangerous?
(Because animals higher in the food chain — including humans — end up with very high toxin levels)
Give one limitation of booms or skimmers.
(Booms don’t work well in rough water; skimmers clog, slow, or need calm water)
Which soaked up more oil in our lab: paper towels or cotton balls?
cotton balls
In our lab, what safe dispersant did we use instead of chemicals?
(Dawn dish soap)
How can oil spills cause bioaccumulation?
(Fish and shellfish absorb oil toxins into their bodies over time, and the toxins stay in their tissues)
How could bioremediation help reduce biomagnification after an oil spill?
(Microorganisms or plants break down oil toxins in the environment, so fewer toxins enter the food chain in the first place.)