Scientists have created the ideal non-toxic ‘super-sponge’ for cleaning oil spills in the icy, turbulent waters of the Arctic, by chemically modifying sawdust to make it exceptionally oil-attracting and buoyant.

Containing oil spills in cold waters is especially tricky, as bobbing ice chunks push oil below the water’s surface, making it difficult to collect. The same goes for rough waters, whose tall, clashing waves disperse oil.

The new non-toxic material absorbs up to five times its weight in oil and stays afloat for at least four months.

“Most of today’s oil remediation materials are designed for warm water use,” said George Bonheyo, from the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

“But as ice retreats in the Arctic Sea, fossil fuel developers are looking north, and we need new oil spill response methods that perform well in extreme conditions,” said Bonheyo, who leads the modified sawdust’s development from PNNL’s Marine Sciences Laboratory. “The chance of an oil spill in the Arctic is real. We hope materials like our modified sawdust can help if an accident happens,” said PNNL microbiologist Robert Jeters.

Beyond absorbing oil, the saw dust also enhances another approach to combatting oil spills called controlled burns.

If changing weather or tides fastly move spilled oil towards a sensitive area, oil can be burned before it can cause further harm. Called in-situ burning, the practice can significantly reduce the amount of oil in water and minimise its adverse environmental effects.

Researchers looked to develop an environmentally friendly and inexpensive material that floats on rough or freezing waters and can support in-situ burning. They ultimately found their winner in a fine dust called wood flour, a woodworking byproduct often used to make wood composites.

The team is also trying out adding tiny, oil-eating microbes to the powder’s surface, so any left-over material could naturally break down oil over time.

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