Dispersit
{{Short description|Oil dispersant}}
Dispersit SPC 1000 or Dispersit is a dispersant used for oil spills, produced by U.S. Polychemical Corporation.{{cite news |url=http://uspoly.com/disspec.html |title=Polychem Dispersit |publisher=U.S. Polychemical Corporation |accessdate=2010-05-21}}
Composition
It combines a predominantly oil-soluble surfactant (such as polyethylene glycol mono-oleate) with a predominantly water-soluble surfactant (such as cocoamide) and a co-solvent for coupling a mixture of the predominantly oil-soluble surfactant and the oil.{{cite patent
| country = US
| number = 6261463
| status = patent
| title = Water based oil dispersant
| pubdate = 2002-01-17
| gdate = 2001-07-17
| fdate = 1999-03-04
| inventor = Savarimuthu M. Jacob and Robert E. Bergman
| invent1 = Savarimuthu M. Jacob
| invent2 = Robert E. Bergman
| assign1 = U.S. Polychemical Marine Corporation
}}
File:Dispersit US patent illustration.jpg by Dispersit]]
Alternatives
Alternative dispersants which are approved by the EPA are listed on the National Contingency Plan Product Schedule{{cite news|url=http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/ncp/product_schedule.htm |title=National Contingency Plan Product Schedule |publisher=Environmental Protection Agency |date=2010-05-13 |accessdate=2010-05-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521003529/http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/ncp/product_schedule.htm |archivedate=2010-05-21 }} and rated for their toxicity and effectiveness.{{cite news |url=http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/ncp/tox_tables.htm#dispersants |title=National Contingency Plan Product Schedule Toxicity and Effectiveness Summaries |publisher=Environmental Protection Agency |date=2010-05-13 |accessdate=2010-05-21}}
Deployments
=2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill=
Dispersit is unique among U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-rated dispersants in being the only one rated as 100% effective against South Louisiana crude oil, and it is among the least toxic, according to EPA tests. By comparison, Corexit, the oil dispersant used in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, is rated at 54.7% effective against South Louisiana crude oil and three times as lethal to silverfish and more than twice as lethal to shrimp.{{cite news |url=https://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/05/gulf-dispersants/ |title=Toxic Oil Dispersant Used in Gulf Despite Better Alternative |author=Brandon Keim |publisher=Wired |date=2010-05-05 |accessdate=2010-05-21}}
On May 20, US Polychemical Corporation was reported to have received an order from BP for Dispersit SPC 1000.{{cite news |url=http://www.epa.gov/oem/content/ncp/products/dispersi.htm |title=National Contingency Plan Product Schedule, Technical Product Bulletin #D-5: DISPERSIT SPC 1000 |publisher=Environmental Protection Agency |date=1999-04-22 |accessdate=2010-05-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522120306/http://www.epa.gov/oem/content/ncp/products/dispersi.htm |archivedate=2010-05-22 }} US Polychemical reportedly stated it was able to produce {{convert|20,000|USgal|L}} a day in the first few days and increasing up to {{convert|60,000|USgal|L}} a day thereafter.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/science/earth/21disperse.html?ref=us |title=Agency Orders Use of a Less Toxic Chemical in Gulf |author=Campbell Robertson and Elisabeth Rosenthal |work=New York Times |date=2010-05-20 |accessdate=2010-05-21}}