A dispersant for oil spills is a specialty chemical formulation designed for environmental emergencies, primarily functioning to break down surface oil slicks into minute droplets through physico-chemical processes. When applied by aircraft or vessels, the surfactant molecules in the dispersant rapidly act at the oil-water interface, significantly reducing the oil's surface tension and causing thick oil layers to fragment into numerous micron-sized droplets. These dispersed droplets then settle from the surface into the water column, dramatically increasing the oil's surface area exposed to the aquatic environment. This process substantially accelerates the natural biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by marine microorganisms. While this treatment doesn't directly remove oil, it effectively prevents slicks from reaching shoreline habitats, protecting sensitive coastal ecosystems and aquaculture zones by creating favorable conditions for natural degradation, making it an important technical measure in marine oil spill response.