What is the purpose of using overlapping boom in pollution response?

Using overlapping boom in pollution response is primarily aimed at improving containment and reducing spillage. When booms are deployed in a staggered or overlapping pattern, it enhances their effectiveness by creating a comprehensive barrier that minimizes the potential for pollutants to escape. This overlapping approach ensures that any substances, such as oil or chemicals, are effectively contained within a limited area, preventing them from spreading further into the environment.

This technique also allows for a tighter seal against the water's surface, which is crucial for intercepting pollutants before they disperse or sink. The use of overlapping booms is a standard practice among spill responders because it maximizes the area covered and provides better overall control of the substance being contained, making it easier to implement recovery measures afterward.

Other options, while relevant to different aspects of pollution response, do not specifically address the primary function of overlapping booms. For example, increasing visibility would not directly relate to containment effectiveness, and signaling for rescue operations is a completely different facet of emergency response that does not involve the containment of pollutants. Similarly, while booms may assist in recovery, their primary role in an overlapping configuration is to improve containment and reduce the risk of spillage.