BfR-Wissenschaft 
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maps, a quick and effective response is far more likely to occur than it would if the authorisa 
tion process needs to take place at the time of an incident. 
Further reading 
ITOPF Publications 
ITOPF has a number of publications and also a film focussing on the subject of dispersant 
use during oil spills, and the following sections provide an overview of some of these re 
sources and links to this relevant information. 
ITOPF Technical Information Paper (TIP) - Over the years ITOPF has produced a series 
of Technical Information Papers (TIPs) to cover a range of specific subjects relating to spill 
response. The TIP on the Use of Dispersants to Treat Oil Spills provides an overview of 
some of the practical considerations associated with dispersant application, including the 
composition of the products and how they work, how they can be applied and the pros and 
cons of different techniques, calculating application rates and the logistics association with 
using dispersants, limitations of their use and how to monitor their effectiveness, environ 
mental considerations and contingency planning. The paper can be downloaded from the 
following link on the ITOPF website: ITOPF Technical Information Paper (TIP) 
ITOPF Response to Marine Oil Spills Series: At-Sea Response - In 2014 ITOPF released 
a series of seven educational films on the subject of Response to Marine Oil Spills which 
have since won awards at the International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC). The third film in the 
series focusses on At-Sea Response and provides an overview of some of the key consider 
ations and practical issues associated with different response strategies, including the use of 
dispersants. It can be viewed online via the ITOPF website at the following link: [FILM1 Re 
sponse to Marine Oil Spills: At-Sea Response 
Review of Practice & Research Needs in Europe - In 2007 ITOPF and the UK’s national 
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) jointly published an 
article in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Marine Pollution Bulletin [54 (7), July 2007] on 
the subject of dispersant use in Europe. The article summarises the findings of a desktop 
study focusing on the practice of dispersant use over a 10 year period from 1995 to 2005, 
looking in particular at variations between different regions and oil-types. The full paper can 
be downloaded from the following link on the ITOPF website: Dispersant Practice & Research 
Research & Development Projects 
Over the years ITOPF has been involved in a number of research and development projects 
related to dispersants, their applicability in different situations and their potential effects on 
marine life. The following two projects are particularly pertinent examples of such research. 
DISCOBIOL Project - DISCOBIOL is a research project implemented by the Centre of Doc 
umentation, Research and Experimentation in Accidental Water Pollution (CEDRE) in Brest, 
France. This three year research project was conducted in collaboration with the French 
Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, the Fisheries and 
Ocean Department of Canada, the University of Western Brittany, the University of the Litto 
ral Opal Coast as well as two manufacturers of chemical dispersants: Total and Innospec 
Ltd. ITOPF co-authored the paper which was presented at the International Oil Spill Conven 
tion (IOSC) in Savannah in the USA in 2014. The full paper can be downloaded from the 
following link on the ITOPF website: DISCOBIOL Report 
FishHealth Project - The effect of dispersed oil on fish has been investigated in several 
studies and one of the more recent ones was supported by ITOPF’s Research and Devel