By XAVIER SMERDON
A WERRIBEE based scientist is gaining praise for inventing a “magic wand” that could help save countless animals caught in dangerous oil spills.
Professor John Orbell from Victoria University’s Werribee Campus headed a research team that has developed a cleaning method based on magnetic particle technology, for the rapid treatment of oiled wildlife.
More than 10 years of research and development has finally led to the invention being recognized as something that could revolutionize the way birds and other marine life, particularly penguins, are treated in the wake of environmental disasters.
The wand won the Banksia Foundation’s Business and Not-for-Profits in Collaboration Award this month, with the award going to both Prof Orbell’s team and Phillip Island Nature Parks Victoria for their work together.
Prof Orbell told Star that the wand worked quicker than traditional methods of cleaning oil drenched animals by covering them in an iron powder which absorbs the oil. These oil absorbing particles have also been optimized by his team.
Within just a few seconds the magnetic bar which has become known as the wand can be used to harvest both the iron particles and the oil. The wand is designed to allow the oil laden particles to be safely deposited in a container for disposal.
“If a bird gets into fuel oil, for example, then it is in big trouble because the toxic and corrosive components can be absorbed through the skin very quickly,” Prof Orbell said.
“So we wanted to develop a portable technology to remove the more toxic components of the oil as quickly as possible, so the bird can then be taken away for further treatment.”
While he was clearly modest about his achievements, Prof Orbell said he hoped his invention would make a positive global impact on the environment.
“I think it possibly could make a big difference,” he said.
“When you are talking about oil spills, saving even a few birds from an endangered species can make a difference between them surviving or dying out.”
Even more amazing is how he came up with his award winning idea.
He saw a high school student perform an experiment over a decade ago where oil was filtered by plastic beads, sparking his imagination.
After years of tweaking and modifying the idea, the wand was finally born.
