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News Release 18-030
Sunlight reduces effectiveness of dispersants used to clean up oil spills
Scientists call for new look at chemical dispersants
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![An aircraft applies dispersants over a slick of sunlight-weathered oil in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.](/news/mmg/media/images/NSF_3_Droping Dispersants on Sunlight-Weathered Oil_f.jpg)
An aircraft applies dispersants to a slick of sunlight-weathered oil in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
Credit: WHOI
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![Workers loading chemical dispersants onto an airplane.](/news/mmg/media/images/NSF_1_Loading Dispersants into Aircraft_f.jpg)
Workers load chemical dispersants for application to oil floating in the Gulf of Mexico.
Credit: WHOI
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![Illustration of airplane dropping oil dispersants into a body of water.](/news/mmg/media/images/Ward_Graphic_30Mar_2018_f.png)
Sunlight changes how well oil dispersants work on spills such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Credit: WHOI
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![A photo of the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig on fire at the time of the spill.](/news/mmg/media/images/deepwaterorizon_offshore_drilling_unit_on_fire_2010_3468c514-8daf-4366-8f6c-01e2dbb4a501_f.jpg)
The Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig on fire at the time of the spill.
Credit: Wikimedia
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![Oil on the surface of ocean water.](/news/mmg/media/images/Defense.gov_oil reaches coast of Alabama_f.jpg)
Oil from the 2010 spill flowed toward the coast of Alabama, where it eventually washed ashore.
Credit: US DOD
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![Oil on the sands of a beach.](/news/mmg/media/images/Thick_Oil_Washes_Ashore in Louisiana_LA GOHSEP_f.jpg)
Oil from the spill also washed ashore in Louisiana, shown here fouling a beach.
Credit: LA GOHSEP
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