Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol

CytoSol Biosolvent in use - Click above to watch video after the jump
CytoSol Biosolvent is not a new technology. It's been tested and used in oil spills all the way from Japan to California to Puetro Rico over the last 15 years. But, now, with the Gulf Oil Spill requiring a lot of cleansing, the National Biodiesel Board is highlighting the bio-based oil separation and clean-up method. The reason is that a biodiesel byproduct, methyl esters, can be used to make "a biobased solvent that is federally listed as a shoreline washing agent for oil spill clean-up," the NBB writes.

Randall Von Wedel, founder and principal biochemist of CytoCulture International, said in a statement that:
The chemical dispersants used in the Gulf have been criticized because all they do is dissolve the oil back into the water, which actually makes it more toxic to sea life. A biobased solvent does the opposite of a dispersant. It removes the oil from impacted vegetation and shoreline and floats it into the water for easy recovery.Currently, a BP contractor and the U.S. Coast Guard are working on proposals for potential use of CytoSol in the Gulf. There's an explanatory video after the jump.

Meanwhile, in a tangentially related "biofuels in the environment" story over in Mayfield, VA, residents are not happy. The reason is that the Transflo Terminal Services company is storing "hazardous materials such as ethanol" near the town, in some cases just 100 feet from homes. The best part of the story is the citizen action:
More than 40 Mayfield residents wearing stickers that said "DANGEROUS" urged Spotsylvania supervisors Tuesday night to revoke Transflo's permit or force the company to move the rail cars away from their homes.[Source: National Biodiesel Board, Fredricksburg.com]

Continue reading Biodiesel producers could help clean the Gulf; ethanol is unwelcome in VA

Biodiesel producers could help clean the Gulf; ethanol is unwelcome in VA originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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