Size distribution as a measure of dispersant performanceA paper submitted to the Journal of Environmental and Engineering Science.
Study of the chemical dispersion of crude oil using size distribution methods can provide important information needed for oil-spill response strategy, which is lacking in the more commonly used mass–concentration methods. Therefore, identification of a reliable method or methods that can provide accurate information regarding droplet size and the mass of oil dispersed is necessary. This research compared four such methods. Gravimetric analysis of the oil mass dispersed was biased low due to loss of volatile components, whereas UV spectroscopy provided accurate results. Size–distribution data obtained using an optical particle counter (OPC) produced accurate estimates of oil mass dispersed, but microscopic examination produced inaccurate and poorly reproducible estimates. Although size–distribution metrics (e.g., estimates of the mean diameter of the size distribution) produced by the two methods were similar, microscopic examination gave unreliable estimates of the number concentration of dispersed oil droplets due to the relatively small number of observations relative to the OPC.