Improving Magnetic Particle Technology (MPT) for the Rehabilitation of Oiled Wildlife

The traditional method for cleaning and rehabilitating oil contaminated wildlife involves the capture of the animal, an initial stabilization protocol, transportation to a treatment facility, cleansing with surfactant/warm water, and a recovery process. Despite numerous successes using this approach, it is extremely time and labor intensive and is stressful to the animal. Unfortunately, there remains a paucity of research into advancing the science and technology associated with the rescue and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife. In this regard, the Animal Rehabilitation Technology (ART) group at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, has developed oil ad(b)sorbing magnetic particles that effectively provide a “dry clean”. This method, referred to as “magnetic cleansing”, offers advantages over the traditional method. For example, it is relatively low cost, is more benign with respect to feather damage and is highly portable. Potentially, this technology will benefit the survival of affected wildlife worldwide but is of particular significance with respect to the protection of Victoria’s iconic Little Penguin population. The famous “Penguin Parade” at the Phillip Island Nature Parks is an important contributor to Victoria’s economy, providing significant employment in the region. Given the ever-present threat of oil contamination, it is crucial that all measures are taken to prepare for such events and that the finest available technology is in place to best deal with such challenges, when they occur. The overall aim of this project is to further improve the application of this novel technology. Therefore, an existing database related to the removal of different % coverages of Diesel Fuel Oil from carcasses of Little Penguin has been analyzed with respect to generating logistical information on providing a “quick clean” to remove the most volatile and corrosive components, upon first encounter. Thus, several contamination-event scenarios have been assessed for a two-person team and relevant parameters, including the number of contaminated animals, the average % coverage, the % removal after 1 and 2 treatments, the time taken for 1 and 2 treatments, the mass of magnetic particles required, and the mass of oil-laden particles to be transported post-treatment. This analysis has demonstrated the feasibility of incorporating a magnetic cleansing “quick clean” into existing stabilization protocols for the rapid on-site removal (i.e., within minutes) of the most toxic and corrosive components. In this context, an attempt has also been made to improve the magnetic particles themselves, by making them lighter in weight but retaining sufficient magnetic susceptibility. This has been shown to be possible by synthesizing and testing magnetic particles from different combinations of nanoparticulate magnetite and zeolite or sawdust. To quantitatively assess the efficacy of removal of different contaminants from feather and fur substrates, an assay has been developed and tested, based on quantifying the removal of different oils from Little Penguin pelt. This substrate has been demonstrated to be superior to feather clusters or whole animal carcasses. Finally, the relative physical characteristics of the evaporation of up to eleven different oils from Little Penguin pelt has been investigated. For each oil these studies have revealed a novel volatile fraction that evaporates within a ten-hour period, accompanied by an initial latency period (plateau). Weathering then continues for up to twenty days, whereby a new plateau is established that defines the total volatile fraction. Notably, it has also been revealed that some volatile components become trapped in the plumage. This is an important finding that supports the application of a “quick clean” to remove such chemicals as soon as possible.