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Nature Nanotechnology 3, 320–321 (1 June 2008) | doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.143

Environmental nanotechnology: Nanomaterials clean up

Joerg Lahann

On 24 March 1989, the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska, releasing nearly 11 million US gallons of crude oil and killing approximately 250,000 seabirds, 3,000 sea otters and 250 bald eagles, despite intense remediation efforts. This incident emphasized the need for materials that can effectively separate oil and water and thus be used to clean up oil spills.