Chinese scientists turned moss into a new material for cleaning up oil spills. iStock/Narai Chal
Chinese scientists have developed a new material from moss that could transform how we clean up oil spills. The team from Guizhou Education University modified sphagnum moss to absorb oil while repelling water.
Oil spills often happen after oil rigs are damaged or pipelines burst, releasing oil into oceans and coastal waters. These events can take months or even years to clean up. In the meantime, they expose people to harmful chemicals and endanger marine wildlife.
To tackle these challenges, researchers have used a variety of absorbents to soak up oil. Bio-based materials like cotton and fruit peels are common because they are cheap and biodegradable. But these natural materials often lack strong water-repelling properties, have low oil capacity, and can’t be reused many times.
“This study used natural porous sphagnum moss as a raw material to develop a novel, economical, efficient, and easily recoverable adsorbent via surface modification,” the researchers wrote.
Moss with a makeover
The research team chemically treated sphagnum moss using substances like hydrogen peroxide and lye. This altered the moss’s surface, giving it impressive oil-absorbing abilities while reducing how much water it soaked up.
The treated moss performed better than traditional bio-based absorbents, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
“Alongside its superior adsorption performance, the material displayed remarkable reusability, maintaining over 90 per cent of its initial adsorption capacity after 10 cycles,” the team said.
This reusability is important, especially during large-scale oil spills where absorbents need to be effective and sustainable.
“Moreover, the fabrication process is simple and cost-effective, with biodegradable sphagnum moss as the primary component, making it environmentally friendly and highly promising for oil spill management and ecological restoration,” they added.
The researchers also pointed out that further studies are needed to test how well the material works in long-term and real-world conditions.
A growing need for cleaner technologies
Oil spills remain a growing environmental threat. In December, two Russian oil tankers were caught in a storm near the Kerch Strait, which links the Sea of Azov with the Black Sea. One tanker sank, and the other ran aground. The result was a major oil spill, with thousands of tons of crude leaking into the sea.
Russia’s environmental agency, Rosprirodnadzor, estimated the damage at nearly US$1 billion. The agency shared this figure in a social media post on April 4.
Russia, a major supplier of crude oil to China, has an aging fleet of oil tankers. These older ships are more prone to breakdowns and accidents. After the US introduced new sanctions on Russian oil producers and vessels, many tankers have been left floating off the coasts of Russia and China since January.
These risks highlight the urgent need for better, safer, and more eco-friendly cleanup technologies.
“Oil and organic chemical spills have become a growing concern, threatening human health, aquatic ecosystems, and the sustainability of ecological systems,” the Chinese team said.
“The development of cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and highly efficient oil-absorbing materials has become an urgent priority.”
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The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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Sujita Sinha A versatile writer, Sujita has worked with Mashable Middle East and News Daily 24. When she isn't writing, you can find her glued to the latest web series and movies.
