Human Hair Used to Clean Up Oil Spills

It’s strong and absorbent, naturally grabbing onto oil and water like sponges. So, as gross as it sounds, mats of human hair actually make the ideal material for cleaning up oil spills.  Ecological charity ‘Matter of Trust’ has thousands of pounds of it delivered by the tractor trailer load, so they can create the mats. That much hair might be a disgusting sight, but it’s making a huge difference at oil spill locations around the world.  They’re hoping to find a way to mechanize the process so there can be on-site hair mat production facilities at any harbor that might need one. Check out a video over at MNN.com.

Volunteers have been using this method since 2007 for cleaning up oil spills in the San Francisco Bay, soaking up oil on the beaches with masses of matted hair the size of doormats donated by salons. Once the mats are soaked with oil, oyster mushrooms are placed on them to absorb the oil, converting it to compost in about 12 weeks. Mushrooms have been used in the bioremediation of many types of toxic substances for years.

Hey, it’s an organic, natural, renewable material that exists in plentiful quantities. It’s usually considered a waste material and thrown in the trash. It’s perfect!

Link [MNN] + [Inhabitat]
Photo credit: Chronicle/Michael Macor

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