Created at Ben-Gurion University, the material repels water while grabbing the oil inside it. That means it would target the pollution instead of soaking up enormous amounts of ocean water.
The sponge then performs a second job. It contains nutrients that attract natural oil-eating bacteria and help them break down the trapped pollution. Researchers believe the material itself may eventually biodegrade, reducing the waste left behind after a cleanup.
The study was headed by Dr. Danit Lisa Karsagi Biron and led by Professor Ariel Kushmaro’s research team. Their results were published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, and the university is now pursuing patent protection.
The technology has only been tested in laboratories and must still prove it can work during a major ocean disaster. But it could eventually give the world a faster and cleaner weapon against devastating oil spills, developed in Israel.