Human hair being used to soak up the Gulf of Mexico oil slick

[marzipanthecat]

Human hair (and animal fur) is being used to soak up the oil slick. A nice use of a waste product, I thought. But I assume it is because the regular soak-up devices are either running out, or they are being used less because the artificial fibre ones are rather expensive (we used to use them to soak up human blood where I used to work - don't worry, it was a testing lab, nothing bizarre!).

The artificial fibre ones soak up a massive amount of fluids and hold them (it was something like 20 or 30 times their own weight, I can't remember exactly how much), human hair apparently holds about 6 times its own weight in oil.

Article about this from the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8672124.stm


Now I'm waiting for some "wit" to come up to me in the street and ask when I'm sending my own hair out there...

[Purdy Bear]

OMG that is amazing! Iv seen straw used on ponds and pools to collect the nasty surface oils you can sometimes get, you then just fish (excuse the pun) out the bail and replace it. I never thought of human or animal hair being used, it does make total sense.

[Oskimosa]

Now I'm waiting for some "wit" to come up to me in the street and ask when I'm sending my own hair out there...

That was my first thought :rolleyes:

Now I wonder if the oil can be extracted from the hairs?

[atlantaz3]

When my hair dresser set up a new shop I sent her a link to a sight that commercial salons can collect hair for recycling purposes. Here is one site http://www.matteroftrust.org/
The salon is green but I never followed up to see if they are doing it - note to self...