Amount of Five Oil Dispersant Ingredients that Remain in Water After Use and Their Toxicity to Cell Culture at Such Concentrations
Session Number
A11
Advisor(s)
Anita White, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Location
B-110
Start Date
28-4-2016 10:40 AM
End Date
28-4-2016 11:05 AM
Abstract
Oil dispersants are among the most common methods of oil spill cleanup yet they are not strictly regulated. A list of some ingredients, without concentrations, has only recently been released making testing on these ingredients crucial to leaning oil dispersant’s effect on ecosystems. We used a Michigan Center Foundation-7 (MCF-7) immortal cell line to test the toxicity of five ingredients of oil dispersants. These were used at a concentration that was likely to remain in the water, which we found by adding each to a set volume of water to determine their solubilities. While tetradecane does have harmful effects, it is insoluble in water, as it would not dissolve at even a 0.1% solution. Dioctylsulfosuccinate and di(propylene glycol)butylether were minimally soluble in water meaning not enough of either will be left in the environment to cause much harm. 2-Butoxy ethanol and 1-methoxy-2-propanol were very soluble in water up to the common 25% oil dispersant concentration meaning their effect will be visible throughout an ecosystem. These results help show that the toxicity of an oil dispersant ingredient to cell culture is dependent on its solubility. The more soluble ingredients were present in higher concentrations so their effect was more prevalent.
Amount of Five Oil Dispersant Ingredients that Remain in Water After Use and Their Toxicity to Cell Culture at Such Concentrations
B-110
Oil dispersants are among the most common methods of oil spill cleanup yet they are not strictly regulated. A list of some ingredients, without concentrations, has only recently been released making testing on these ingredients crucial to leaning oil dispersant’s effect on ecosystems. We used a Michigan Center Foundation-7 (MCF-7) immortal cell line to test the toxicity of five ingredients of oil dispersants. These were used at a concentration that was likely to remain in the water, which we found by adding each to a set volume of water to determine their solubilities. While tetradecane does have harmful effects, it is insoluble in water, as it would not dissolve at even a 0.1% solution. Dioctylsulfosuccinate and di(propylene glycol)butylether were minimally soluble in water meaning not enough of either will be left in the environment to cause much harm. 2-Butoxy ethanol and 1-methoxy-2-propanol were very soluble in water up to the common 25% oil dispersant concentration meaning their effect will be visible throughout an ecosystem. These results help show that the toxicity of an oil dispersant ingredient to cell culture is dependent on its solubility. The more soluble ingredients were present in higher concentrations so their effect was more prevalent.