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The use of magnetic particles in environmental remediation and wildlife rehabilitation is currently under investigation at Victoria University, in collaboration with the Phillip Island Research Centre, Victoria, Australia. Iron powder has been shown to be very effective for the magnetic cleansing of feathers and plumage and is almost ideal for this purpose, being non-toxic, a non-irritant and recyclable. Detailed investigations have demonstrated that by varying particle size, particle structure and surface texture, the efficacy of oil removal from feathers and plumage can be successfully manipulated. In this regard, it is possible to identify a grade of iron powder whereby, within experimental error, effectively 100% removal of a variety of fresh contaminants from different matrices, including feathers, can be achieved. Our investigations have been extended to the application of such particles to the successful removal of tarry and weathered/tarry contamination. The results of these investigations have indicated that, for such contaminants, removals ranging from 97-99% may be achieved. Magnetic particle technology may also be adapted for the screening of pre-conditioning agents that can further assist in the removal of tarry and weathered/tarry contamination from feathers. These investigations suggest that magnetic particles could have an important role to play in environmental remediation and wildlife rehabilitation as a clean and effective technology.

We have conducted temperature-dependent studies on the removal of a solidified tarry residue from feathers using magnetic particles. These studies demonstrate an acute temperature dependency whereby no contaminant at all is removed below a certain temperature but, at and above this temperature, the removal rapidly approaches 100%. Significantly, this temperature is well below the temperature at which the tarry residue becomes a flowing liquid. This demonstrates that it is possible for magnetic cleansing to remove up to 100% of tarry residue from feathers under temperature conditions that would be benign to a bird.

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