India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

An Indian-origin researcher from Texas Tech University has come up with a product, Fibertect, which he claims can clean up the Gulf oil spill. Seshadri Ramkumar, has created a non-woven cotton carbon absorbent wipe that can clean up crude oil up to 15 times its weight and adsorb toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon vapours reportedly sickening oil spill clean-up crew members. The product, he says, can retain off-gassing mustard vapours from dumped munitions. "Last week, Fibertect was approved for use as a sorbent by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency," Ramkumar said. "It definitely has applications for cleaning up the oil spill or this clam boat. Our wipe material is unique from any others in that it easily absorbs liquids, and it has vapour-holding capacity. No product to my knowledge has the capacity to do both." Originally developed to protect the U.S. military from chemical and biological warfare agents, Fibertect contains a fibrous activated carbon centre that is sandwiched between layers. "Fibertect already has proven to be effective in the bulk decontamination of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals, but our proposal here is to use it to aid in the clean-up efforts in the Gulf," said Amit Kapoor, president of First Line Technology. "Fibertect allows for a green, environmentally safe, biodegradable technology that is perfect for the expanding effort to protect and decontaminate coastal lands and wildlife. We welcome the opportunity to work with the government, BP or anyone else in a joint effort to defend and preserve our planet," he added.

Indian origin scientist claims his product can clean up Gulf oil spill