Laboratory Evaluation Of Chemical Oil Dispersants

This paper describes some of the methods which can be used to evaluate chemical oil dispersants in order to obtain some preliminary data related to their effectiveness as dispersants and problems that may result from their use. Most of the techniques are quite simple and can be done fairly rapidly in the laboratory. Some of these were borrowed from the standard procedures employed in water and wastewater treatment practices and include jar tests, bioassays, oxygen uptake measurements and threshold odor determinations. Data derived from these tests may be of some value in situations where a selection of a suitable dispersant must be made on the basis of only limited knowledge and experience.