Role of light microplastics in the dispersion process of spilled crude oil in the marine environment.

Oil spill and microplastic (MP) pollution are the main problems in the marine environment. After an oil spill, the oil film may be dispersed into the water column in the form of droplets under the action of ocean waves. In this study, the sea condition was simulated through the batch conical flask oscillation experiment. Merey crude oil was selected as experimental oil, and polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) were used as experimental MP. The effects of MP properties (type, concentration and size) on the dispersion of spilled oil were investigated. It is found that for each MP, the oil dispersion efficiency (ODE) increased rapidly at first and then tended to be stable, which all reached the maximum at 360 min. When the concentrations of PE and PS increased from 0 to 100 mg/L, the maximum ODE decreased from 32.64 % to 13.72 % and 10.75 %, respectively, indicating that the presence of MP inhibits the oil dispersion. At the same oscillation time, the volumetric mean diameter (VMD) of dispersed oil increased with the MP concentration. When the particle size of PE and PS increased from 13 to 1000 µm, the maximum ODE increased from 24.74 % to 31.49 % and 28.60 %, respectively. However, the VMD decreased with the size of MP. In addition, the time series of the oil adsorption rate by the MP were well fitted by the kinetic models. The results of this research deepen the understanding of the migration law of spilled oil to the marine environment in the presence of MP, and may further improve the ability of marine environmental scientists to predict the fate of oil spill.

Formation and sedimentation of oil-mineral aggregates in the presence of chemical dispersant.

The formation and sedimentation of oil-mineral aggregates (OMAs) is the major method to transport spilled oil to the seafloor. In this study, the formation and sedimentation experiments of OMA using montmorillonite and four crude oils were performed in a wave tank in the presence of chemical dispersant. Most of the formed OMAs were droplet OMAs, and single droplet OMA would aggregate into multiple ones under the action of the dispersant. The size of the oil droplets trapped in the OMA increased with time and was larger for the oil with higher viscosity. The sinking velocities of OMAs formed in this study were between 100-1200 µm s-1 and they were positively correlated with their diameter. The density of OMA was of the same order as that of the crude oil that formed them. An increase in the dispersant dosage could promote the formation of OMAs. The oil content in OMAs was higher for the denser oil in the presence of a dispersant. The maximum oil trapping efficiency of OMAs was 48.05%. This study provides fundamental data on the formation kinetics of OMAs.

Impact of mixing energy and dispersant dosage on oil dispersion and sedimentation with microplastics in the marine environment.

Recently, the fate of spilled oil in the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the sea has attracted attention of researchers. Merey crude oil and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were used as the experimental materials in this study. The effects of mixing energy and dispersant dosage on oil dispersion and sedimentation in the presence of MPs in the water column were investigated by laboratory experiments simulating actual sea conditions. The increase of mixing energy showed a promoting effect on oil dispersion. When the oscillation frequency increased from 140 rpm to 180 rpm, the oil dispersion efficiency (ODE) ranged from 2.1 %-3.7 % to 17.4 %-30.8 %, and the volumetric mean diameter (VMD) of the suspended oil droplets/MPs-oil agglomerates (MOA) decreased from 99.9-131.4 µm to 76.6-88.2 µm after 2 h oscillation. The application of chemical dispersant led to an increase in both the quantity and size of the formed sunken MPs-oil-dispersant agglomerates (MODA). At the dispersant-to-oil ratio (DOR) of 1:5, the ODE declined from 77.7 % to 62.6 % when the MPs concentration increased from 0 to 150 mg/L, while the oil sinking efficiency (OSE) rose from 3.4 % to 15.6 % when the MPs increased from 25 to 150 mg/L; the maximum size of the sunken MODA reached 13.0 mm, and the total volume of the MODA formed per unit volume oil reached 389.7 µL/mL oil at the MPs concentration of 150 mg/L. Meanwhile, the results showed that the presence of MPs inhibited the oil dispersion by increasing the oil-water interfacial tension. The outcomes of this work may provide assistance in predicting the transport of spilled oil and developing emergency measures.

Formation of oil-particle aggregates in the presence of marine algae.

After an oil spill, the formation of oil-particle aggregates (OPAs) is associated with the interaction between dispersed oil and marine particulate matter such as phytoplankton, bacteria and mineral particles. Until recently, the combined effect of minerals and marine algae in influencing oil dispersion and OPA formation has rarely been investigated in detail. In this paper, the impacts of a species of flagellate algae Heterosigma akashiwo on oil dispersion and aggregation with montmorillonite were investigated. This study has found that oil coalescence is inhibited due to the adhesion of algal cells on the droplet surface, causing fewer large droplets to be dispersed into the water column and small OPAs to form. Due to the role of biosurfactants in the algae and the inhibition of algae on the swelling of mineral particles, both the oil dispersion efficiency and oil sinking efficiency were improved, which reached 77.6% and 23.5%, respectively at an algal cell concentration (Ca) of 1.0 × 106 cells per mL and a mineral concentration of 300 mg L-1. The volumetric mean diameter of the OPAs decreased from 38.4 µm to 31.5 µm when Ca increased from 0 to 1.0 × 106 cells per mL. At higher turbulent energy, more oil tended to form larger OPAs. The findings may add knowledge about the fate and transport of spilled oil and provide fundamental data for oil spill migration modelling.

Combined effects of chemical dispersant and suspended minerals on the dispersion process of spilled oil.

The dispersion process of spilled oil is an important concern for the effective disposal of oil spills. The dispersed oil concentration and oil droplets size distribution were studied through a wave tank test under the application of chemical dispersant and suspended minerals. The results indicated that dispersant and minerals increased the dispersed oil concentration and the effect of dispersant was more significant, and they had a synergistic effect on oil dispersion. When dispersant and minerals were applied together, the volume mean diameter of oil droplets decreased in the first 30 min, then increased and reached a maximum value at 90-120 min, and decreased again. Moreover, suspended minerals could inhibit the coalescence of oil droplets. This study can afford data support for oil spill emergency response that occurs in inshore or estuaries.

Oxidative stress responses in the respiratory tree and the body wall of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) to high temperature.

Sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicas (Selenka) is one of the important aquaculture species distributed in northern China. In recent years, global warming caused frequent high temperature weather in summer in northern China, resulting in dramatic losses of the sea cucumber aquaculture industry. In the present study, we focused on the effect of oxidative stress in Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) subjected to high temperature stress. Sea cumbers were exposed to the control (16 °C), and high temperature treatments (20 °C, 24 °C, and 28 °C) for 7 days. Then, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, reduced glutathione (GSH) content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) level in the respiratory tree and body wall were detected, respectively. Results showed that 24 °C and 28 °C acute exposure induced the elevation of ROS level, SOD, CAT, POD activities, GSH content, MDA content and 8-OHdG level in the respiratory tree of sea cucumber. In contrast, no significant changes were observed for ROS and 8-OHdG levels in the body wall of sea cucumber, while the antioxidants including SOD, CAT, POD, and GSH decreased to some extent. Moreover, MDA content exhibited a noticeable increase in the body wall, similarly to that in the respiratory tree, indicating that high temperature could induce severe lipid peroxidation in two tissues. Considering the differences in various biomarkers measured in two tissues, respiratory tree might be more susceptible to the high temperature changes compared to the body wall. Our findings may help understand the oxidative stress response to high temperature in the respiratory tree and the body wall in A. japonicus.

Effects of oil properties on the formation of oil-particle aggregates at the presence of chemical dispersant in baffled flask tests.

The formation of oil-particle aggregates (OPA) is the major sedimental pathway of spilled oil, which can bring great harm to both the benthic communities and marine environment. In this paper, effects of GM-2 chemical dispersant and oil properties on the formation of OPA was investigated by the EPA baffled flask test. The addition of dispersant can promote the formation of OPA from montmorillonite and five test oils obviously. With the increase of the dispersant dosage, the size of trapped oil in OPA increased and the density of OPA decreased. The dispersant can increase the kinematic viscosity of crude oil, and high viscosity of the oil is advantageous for the formation of OPA. The oil-seawater interfacial tension is reduced after the addition of dispersant, which makes oil dispersed into the water column easier. A kinematic equation of dispersed oil concentration attenuation was modified by introducing the oil property coefficient ß. The modified empirical equation can calculate the mass of oil in sunken OPA in oil spill accidents.

Exposure of adult sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius to stranded heavy fuel oil causes developmental toxicity on larval offspring.

Heavy fuel oil (HFO) spills pose serious threat to coastlines and sensitive resources. Stranded HFO that occurs along the coastline could cause long-term and massive damage to the marine environment and indirectly affect the survival of parental marine invertebrates. However, our understanding of the complex associations within invertebrates is primarily limited, particularly in terms of the toxicity effects on the offspring when parents are exposed to stranded HFO. Here, we investigated the persistent effects on the early development stage of the offspring following stranded HFO exposure on the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius. After 21 d exposure, sea urchins exhibited a significant decrease in the reproductive capacity; while the reactive oxygen species level, 3-nitrotyrosine protein level, protein carbonyl level, and heat shock proteins 70 expression in the gonadal tissues and gametes significantly increased as compared to the controls, indicating that HFO exposure could cause development toxicity on offspring in most traits of larval size. These results suggested that the stranded HFO exposure could increase oxidative stress of gonadal tissues, impair reproductive functions in parental sea urchins, and subsequently impact on development of their offspring. This study provides valuable information regarding the persistent toxicity effects on the offspring following stranded HFO exposure on sea urchins.

Experimental investigations on the vertical distribution and properties of oil-mineral aggregates (OMAs) formed by different clay minerals.

After oil spills, the floating oil may interact with suspended minerals to form the oil-mineral aggregates (OMAs) in turbulent environments. In this work, a flume was used in conjunction with a settling device to investigate the vertical distribution and properties of OMAs formed by different clay minerals. The density and size of OMAs depend on the density and surface properties of the constituent particles, which also affect the vertical distribution of dispersed oil. Density of oil-montmorillonite aggregates increased from 1165 to 1897 kg/m3 within 6 h test. Among the four minerals, montmorillonite displayed the highest affinity with dispersed oil and the most significant modification of oil-water interfacial tension. Oil dispersion efficiency was significantly greater and reached 39.3% in the presence of montmorillonite at 300 mg/L compared with the control group (17.6%). Particle concentration is the most important factor for the capture of oil and participation of particles during the OMA formation, while the zeta potential and hydrophobicity have nonsignificant effect on the two processes. Cation exchange capacity has a moderate effect on the sunken oil formation, which is also the second main factor governing the particle participation. Particle size plays a second leading role in governing the sunken oil formation but with a minor contribution of the particle participation.

Effects of chemical dispersant on the surface properties of kaolin and aggregation with spilled oil.

After oil spills occur, dispersed oil droplets can collide with suspended particles in the water column to form the oil-mineral aggregate (OMA) and settle to the seafloor. However, only a few studies have concerned the effect of chemical dispersant on this process. In this paper, the mechanism by which dispersant affects the surface properties of kaolin and the viscosity and oil-seawater interfacial tension (IFTow) of Roncador crude oil were separately investigated by small-scale tests. The results indicated that the presence of dispersant impairs the zeta potential and enhances the hydrophobicity of kaolin. The viscosity of Roncador crude oil rose slightly as the dosage of dispersant increased, while IFTow decreased significantly. Furthermore, the oil dispersion and OMA formation at different dispersant-to-oil ratio (DOR) were evaluated in a wave tank. When DOR was less than 1:40, the effect of dispersant on the dispersion of spilled oil was not obvious. With the increasing DOR, the effect became more pronounced, and the adhesion between oil droplets and kaolin was inhibited. The size ratio between oil droplets and particles is the significant factor for OMA formation. The closer the oil-mineral size ratio is to 1, the more difficultly the OMA forms.

The effect of Iridoids effective fraction of Valeriana jatamansi Jones on movement function in rats after acute cord injury and the related mechanism.

OBJECTIVES: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disastrous central nervous system (CNS) disorder, which was intimately associated with oxidative stress. Studies have confirmed that Iridoids Effective Fraction of Valeriana jatamansi Jones (IEFV) can scavenge reactive oxygen species. This study aimed to confirm the efficacy of IEFV in ameliorating SCI. METHODS: For establish the SCI model, the Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a T10 laminectomy with transient violent oppression by aneurysm clip. Then, the rats received IEFV intragastrically for 8 consecutive weeks to evaluate the protective effect of IEFV on motor function, oxidative stress, inflammation and neurotrophic factors in SCI rats. RESULTS: Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan scores, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and transmission electron microscopy experiments found IEFV protected motor function and alleviated neuron damage. Meanwhile, IEFV treatment decreased the release of malondialdehyde, interleukin-6 (IL-6), cyclooxygenase-2 and tumor necrosis factor-α. Moreover, IEFV treatment elevated the expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor of SCI rats. Finally, administration of IEFV significantly inhibited the expression of p-p65 and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that IEFV could attenuate the oxidative stress and inflammatory response of the spinal cord after SCI, which was associated with inhibition of the TLR4/nuclear factor-kappaB signaling pathway.

Safety of Every-Other-Day Fasting in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

ABSTRACT: Every-other-day fasting is effective for a variety of major human diseases, but the safety of these interventions is uncertain for patients with spinal cord injury. A randomized controlled study was conducted to investigate the safety of every-other-day fasting in patients with spinal cord injury. Participants who met the diagnostic inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly divided into the control and every-other-day fasting groups. In the every-other-day fasting group, fasting lasted from 09:00 p.m. on day 1 to 06:00 p.m. on the following day (day 2). Dinner on day 2 was restricted to approximately 30% of the average daily calorie intake. The changes in plasma glucose were recorded daily for 2 days and every other day from the third day after every-other-day fasting intervention. The changes in albumin, prealbumin, plasma potassium, serum sodium, blood calcium, body weight, and body mass index were monitored at the baseline and at the end of the every-other-day fasting intervention. The results showed that compared with the control group, the mean blood glucose levels were significantly decreased from the second week after every-other-day fasting intervention. The body weight of patients in the every-other-day fasting group was notably reduced compared with that at baseline, whereas in body mass index, no obvious differences were observed before and after treatment with every-other-day fasting. In general, every-other-day fasting could be considered as a safe approach for individuals with spinal cord injury.

Performance of dispersed oil and suspended sediment during the oil-sediment aggregation process.

Oil-sediment aggregation is an important transport and transformation process of spilled oil, which has been considered as a pathway of spill remediation. This work focused on the individual performance of dispersed oil and sediment during the aggregation process. Dispersion of three oils was first tested and validated in a water tank. An approach of estimating the mass variation of the sediment that has participated in forming the oil-sediment aggregates (OSAs) has been developed by density analysis. Results indicated that the density of the formed OSAs increases during the aggregation. In the context of remediation, it takes longer for sediment to reach equilibrium than for dispersed oil, especially under high mixing energy at a large sediment concentration, which results in the formation of dense OSAs, as well as high aggregation degree and rate. Roncador oil possesses a relatively high capability of capturing sediment to form dense OSAs, especially at an initial sediment concentration of over 150 mg/L. Oil sinking efficiency and the characteristic change rate of aggregated oil mass seem to be proportional to oil dispersion efficiency, and decrease with the mean size of dispersed oil droplets. The process of aggregation can further promote the dispersion of oil into water column. This study also provides fundamental data for the formation kinetics of OSAs.

Combined Effects of Elevated Temperature and Crude Oil Pollution on Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus, Selenka).

Currently, global climate change and oil pollution are two main environmental concerns for sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) aquaculture. However, no study has been conducted on the combined effects of elevated temperature and oil pollution on sea cucumber. Therefore, in the present study, we treated sea cucumber with elevated temperature (26 °C) alone, water-accommodated fractions (WAF) of Oman crude oil at an optimal temperature of 16 °C, and Oman crude oil WAF at an elevated temperature of 26 °C for 24 h. Results showed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and total antioxidant capacity in WAF at 26 °C treatment were higher than that in WAF at 16 °C treatment, as evidenced by 6.03- and 1.31-fold-higher values, respectively. Oxidative damage assessments manifested that WAF at 26 °C treatment caused much severer oxidative damage of the biomacromolecules (including DNA, proteins, and lipids) than 26 °C or WAF at 16 °C treatments did. Moreover, compared to 26 °C or WAF at 16 °C treatments, WAF at 26 °C treatment induced a significant increase in cellular apoptosis by detecting the caspase-3 activity. Our results revealed that co-exposure to elevated temperature and crude oil could simulate higher ROS levels and subsequently cause much severer oxidative damage and cellular apoptosis than crude oil alone on sea cucumber.

Sex-Specific Differences in the Toxic Effects of Heavy Fuel Oil on Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus intermedius).

The purpose of this study was to explore and compare the sex-specific differences in the toxic effects of water-accommodated fractions of 380# heavy fuel oil (HFO WAF) on the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius. Sea urchins were acutely exposed to HFO WAF at different nominal concentrations (0%, 10% and 20%) for seven days. The results showed that females had a higher polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bioaccumulation in gonad tissues and that both the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels in the gonad tissues of females were much higher than those of males. The PAHs bioaccumulation in gametes indicated that parents' exposure could lead to a transfer of PAHs to their offspring, and eggs had higher TAC and LPO than sperms. After maternal and paternal exposure to HFO WAF, the frequency of morphological abnormalities of the offspring was increased when compared to the control. Overall, these results indicated that maternal exposure to HFO WAF could cause more significantly toxic effects on sea urchins than paternal exposure could, which could lead to more significantly negative effects on their offspring.

Comparison between two anammox fiber fillers under load impact and the effect of HCO3 - concentration.

Based on the establishment of a stable anaerobic ammonia oxidation treatment system in 100 days, the impact resistances of two different anammox fiber fillers (the curtain filler: R1 and the bundle filler: BR) were compared. Furthermore, the effect of HCO3 - concentration on the bundle filler system was also investigated, the results have shown that the activity of the two anammox fiber fillers was not inhibited when the NO2 --N concentration was lower than 750 mg L-1 (FNA = 0.085 mg L-1), while it was significantly suppressed at 900 mg L-1 (FNA = 0.118 mg L-1). However, the two fiber fillers could be recovered and exhibit a good impact resistance reduction of the substrate concentration. On day 95, the structure of the bundle filler was more conducive to the stable attachment, proliferation, and aggregation of anammox bacteria. Dominant anammox bacteria in both the curtain and bundle fillers were Candidatus Kuenenia, which accounted for 25.9% and 35.9% of the total population, respectively. When the influent HCO3 - concentration was 900 mg L-1, the bundled fiber filler had the highest total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency, which reached 89.0%. Even though it was inhibited under 2000 mg L-1 of HCO3 - concentration, the reactor was able to recover within one week by reducing the substrate concentration. In addition, the HCO3 - inhibition mechanism was independent of pH, which resulted in high FA content.

Oil dispersion and aggregation with suspended particles in a wave tank.

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) in marine environments plays an important role in determining the fate of spilled oil via the generation of oil-particle aggregates (OPAs). A series of mesoscale wave tank experiments and sedimentation tests were conducted to fill the knowledge gap on how the turbulent mixing, temperature, and oil type affect the dispersion of spilled oil and properties of OPAs. Generally, the oil dispersing efficiency was significantly enhanced by high wave energy, which also led to effective oil sinking, large size of OPAs and wide distribution of trapped oil. Nonlinear fitting results indicated that the oil sinking efficiency followed an exponential growth over time. The effect of temperature on oil dispersion and formation of OPAs is primarily attributed to its influence on oil viscosity and interfacial tension. Viscous oils are more likely to interact with particles above 25 °C. However, below 20 °C, a specific oil viscosity that will bring about the maximum OPAs exists. Excessive oil viscosity will lead to a weak binding between oil and SPM and a centralized distribution of trapped oil. Furthermore, spilled oil with a high asphaltene can interact more effectively with particles. Our finding suggested that early prevention of offshore oil sinking is key in summer.

Phenotypic and transcriptomic consequences in zebrafish early-life stages following exposure to crude oil and chemical dispersant at sublethal concentrations.

To further understand the underlying mechanisms involved in the developmental toxicity of crude oil and chemically dispersed crude oil on fish early-life stages (ELS), zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to GM-2 chemical dispersant (DISP), low-energy water-accommodated fractions (LEWAF), and chemically enhanced WAF (CEWAF) of Merey crude oil at sublethal concentrations for 120 h. We employed the General Morphology Score (GMS) and General Teratogenic Score (GTS) systems in conjunction with high-throughput RNA-Seq analysis to evaluate the phenotypic and transcriptomic responses in zebrafish ELS. Results showed that ΣPAHs concentrations in LEWAF and CEWAF solutions were 507.63 ± 80.95 ng·L-1 and 4039.51 ± 241.26 ng·L-1, respectively. The GMS and GTS values indicated that CEWAF exposure caused more severe developmental delay and higher frequencies of teratogenic effects than LEWAF exposure. Moreover, no significant change in heart rate was observed in LEWAF treatment, while CEWAF exposure caused a significant reduction in heart rate. LEWAF and CEWAF exposure exhibited an overt change in eye area, with a reduction of 4.0% and 25.3% (relative to the control), respectively. Additionally, no obvious impact on phenotypic development was observed in zebrafish embryo-larvae following DISP exposure. Significant changes in gene expression were detected in LEWAF and CEWAF treatments, with a total of 957 and 2062 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), respectively, while DISP exposure altered only 91 DEGs. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that LEWAF and CEWAF exposure caused significant perturbations in the pathways associated with phototransduction, retinol metabolism, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, and immune response-related pathways. Our results provide more valid evidence to corroborate the previous suggestion that ocular impairment is an equal or possibly more sensitive biomarker than cardiotoxicity in fish ELS exposed to oil-derived PAHs. All these findings could gain further mechanistic insights into the effects of crude oil and chemical dispersant on fish ELS.

Effects of repetitive magnetic stimulation on motor function and GAP43 and 5-HT expression in rats with spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVES: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disabling central nervous system disorder. This study aimed to explore the effects of repetitive trans-spinal magnetic stimulation (rTSMS) of different spinal cord segments on movement function and growth-associated protein-43 (GAP43) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) expression in rats after acute SCI and to preliminarily discuss the optimal rTSMS treatment site to provide a theoretical foundation and experimental evidence for clinical application of rTSMS in SCI. METHODS: A rat T10 laminectomy SCI model produced by transient application of an aneurysm clip was used in the study. The rats were divided into group A (sham surgery), group B (acute SCI without stimulation), group C (T6 segment stimulation), group D (T10 segment stimulation), and group E (L2 segment stimulation). RESULTS: In vivo magnetic stimulation protected motor function, alleviated myelin sheath damage, decreased NgR and Nogo-A expression levels, increased GAP43 and 5-HT expression levels, and inhibited terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells and apoptosis-related protein expression in rats at 8 weeks after the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that rTSMS can promote GAP43 and 5-HT expression and axonal regeneration in the spinal cord, which is beneficial to motor function recovery after acute SCI.

Effect of the concentration and size of suspended particulate matter on oil-particle aggregation.

After spill, the dispersed oil droplets may collide with suspended particulate matter in the water column to form oil-particle aggregates (OPAs) in turbulent environments. It may be an effective pathway to stabilize the oil by taking advantage of the particulate matter to clean up the contaminated waters. A theoretical model in Payne et al. (2003) is adopted to describe the oil-particle aggregation, and a solution method is proposed and validated against a group of experiments. The effect of the particle size and mass concentration on the aggregation has been examined quantitatively in detail. The particles and the oil droplets are consumed at a fixed ratio. Under the same mass concentration, smaller particles can trap more oil droplets, while larger particles tend to interact more quickly with the oil. The oil-particle aggregation rate and the oil trapping efficiency mainly depend on the particle concentration. The theoretical model is applied to predict the decrease of the dispersed oil in nearshore environments, based on the parameters obtained from the experiments. It is efficient to promote the oil-particle aggregation by increasing the particle concentration in the closed bay. In the open sea, the decrease of the dispersed oil can be effectively enhanced by increasing the particle concentration when it is below 0.50 kg/m3. The information presented in this paper can serve to predict the fate of the dispersed oil in coastal waters and provide technical support for oil spill management strategies.