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FIELD DISPERSANT EFFECTIVENESS TEST
Citation:
Diaz, A. FIELD DISPERSANT EFFECTIVENESS TEST. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-87/072.
Description:
The EPA's OHMSETT facility has developed a rapid field test that includes some of the theoretical aspects and conditions of dispersion at sea. This Field Dispersant Effectiveness Test (FDET) has been used to evaluate the dispersibility of various commonly-transported oils and make a database for dispersant selection and application. The FDET is designed to generate droplet sizes that closely resemble the dispersion of oil occurring at sea. A fixed mixing intensity and time induces the effects necessary to produce the dispersion and reveal the effectiveness of the dispersant and dispersibility of the oil. The measurement of the dispersibility of various crude oils with several dispersants have been incorporated into a database. This data will help the officials involved in the control of oil spills to make more informed decisions about the use of dispersants.