Response product testing
Oil spill response often involves the use of chemicals which help in particular to break down or recover the pollutant.
There are 5 main groups of
response products: dispersants, surface washing agents,
sorbents, demulsifiers and bioremediation agents (to which certain less widely used products can be added: herding agents, film-forming agents and gelling agents).
These
agents are used in the natural environment. It is therefore
important that they undergo testing to ensure that they
are harmless. These procedures, set up in developed countries,
aim to approve (validate or certify) these products. Lists
of authorised or recommended products can then be made
up based on the test results.
The tests are carried out in the laboratory according
to well defined test procedures. These methods are rigourous
and precise, however the results are limited to arbitrarily
defined experiment conditions. They do not claim to encompass
all aspects of real use at sea or in fresh water. They
cannot predict the merit of their use in real situations,
nor the overall effect on the ecosystem. Nevertheless,
they allow the best products to be selected.
In France, the majority of test methods have been standardised by AFNOR (French Standardisation Association), in particular the test procedures for marine dispersants, sorbents and rock washing agents. Cedre is responsible for testing and recommending these types of products. Where necessary, it is assisted by a group led by the French Ministry of the Environment, made up of representatives from the ministries and research organisations, to establish the criteria and the acceptance levels which apply to the products tested.
Last update: September 2009