Brown Seaweed (Sargassum spp.) and Banana (Musa Acuminata x Balbisiana) Peels as Bio-Absorbent Pads for OIl Spills
Document Type
Paper presentation
School Name
Saint Louis College
School Code
N/A
Abstract / Executive Summary
The Philippines, an archipelagic nation, is heavily reliant on maritime activities. Oil spills caused by accidents during oil transportation threaten marine life and ecosystems. Synthetic oil spill absorbents have several downsides: they are costly, non-biodegradable, and environmentally harmful. In support of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 13 Climate Action by providing an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic oil absorbents. Furthermore, SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation and SDG 14 Life below water by helping reduce water pollution and by preventing oil contamination in marine ecosystems. Thus, this study evaluated oil spill remediation with the use of brown seaweed (Sargassum spp.) and banana peels (Musa acuminata × balbisiana) as a biodegradable absorbent. The researchers sun dried and grinded the materials, blended it with sodium alginate and shaped them into molds, afterwards they soaked it with calcium chloride and was then air dried. Three formulations with varying brown seaweed and banana peel pads were then put through three testing methods namely, absorption capacity, floating time, and biodegradability. The researchers computed for the mean and used t-test in treating the data. Results showed that the 60:40 seaweed–banana peel ratio containing more seaweed, had the highest oil absorption capacity and biodegradability, while the 50:50 ratio demonstrated the best floating time. Furthermore, it was recorded that there is a significant difference between the best formulation and the commercialized product. These findings highlight the potential of the product as sustainable alternatives to synthetic oil absorbents.
Keywords:
brown seaweed; banana peels; absorption capacity; floating time; biodegradability
Brown Seaweed (Sargassum spp.) and Banana (Musa Acuminata x Balbisiana) Peels as Bio-Absorbent Pads for OIl Spills
The Philippines, an archipelagic nation, is heavily reliant on maritime activities. Oil spills caused by accidents during oil transportation threaten marine life and ecosystems. Synthetic oil spill absorbents have several downsides: they are costly, non-biodegradable, and environmentally harmful. In support of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 13 Climate Action by providing an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic oil absorbents. Furthermore, SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation and SDG 14 Life below water by helping reduce water pollution and by preventing oil contamination in marine ecosystems. Thus, this study evaluated oil spill remediation with the use of brown seaweed (Sargassum spp.) and banana peels (Musa acuminata × balbisiana) as a biodegradable absorbent. The researchers sun dried and grinded the materials, blended it with sodium alginate and shaped them into molds, afterwards they soaked it with calcium chloride and was then air dried. Three formulations with varying brown seaweed and banana peel pads were then put through three testing methods namely, absorption capacity, floating time, and biodegradability. The researchers computed for the mean and used t-test in treating the data. Results showed that the 60:40 seaweed–banana peel ratio containing more seaweed, had the highest oil absorption capacity and biodegradability, while the 50:50 ratio demonstrated the best floating time. Furthermore, it was recorded that there is a significant difference between the best formulation and the commercialized product. These findings highlight the potential of the product as sustainable alternatives to synthetic oil absorbents.
