Arundo donax fibers as green materials for oil spill recovery

Abstract

Oil spillage is considered one of the most devastating forms of pollution, for its effect on the environment, particularly on aquatic life. This kind of disaster can impact in two ways, directly caused by the polluting spilled oil or due to the cleanup process. In fact, oil floating on water does not allow sunlight to pass through and its toxicity puts the life of aquatic animals at risk. Furthermore, other factors can also contribute to this damage. In fact, a wrong oil recovery system can add a further pollution level. Polymer sorbents used for the oil spill recovery, if not properly treated, increase the level of marine and ground pollution. For this reason, in the last years, green materials are increasingly studied and used for this purpose. Green adsorbents (such as lignocellulosic, fruits fibers) are recently employed with excellent results. Aim of this book chapter is the evaluation of the oil sorption properties of natural fibers extracted from the stem of the giant reed Arundo Donax L., a perennial rhizomatous grass belonging to the Poaceae family that grows naturally all around the world thanks to its ability to tolerate different climatic conditions.