Evaluation of kapok (Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.) as a natural
hollow hydrophobic–oleophilic fibrous sorbent for oil spill cleanup
Oil and chemical spill accidents can be caused by human
mistakes and carelessness, deliberate acts such as vandalism,
war and illegal dumping, or by natural disasters such
as hurricanes or earthquakes. Offshore and shoreline
waters can be polluted by oil drilling operations, accidents
involving oil tankers, runoffs from offshore oil explorations
and productions, and spills from tanker loading and
unloading operations. Massive marine oil spills have
occurred frequently and resulted in a great deal of damage
to the marine, coastal and terrestrial habitats, economical
impacts on fisheries, mariculture and tourism, and loss of
energy source. Inland water bodies can be polluted by leaking
of oil through pipelines, refineries, and storage facilities,
runoff from oil fields and refinery areas and, in some
cases, process effluent from petroleum refineries and petrochemical
plants.