Exploring the use of cellulose nanocrystal as surface-washing agent for oiled shoreline cleanup

•CNC-based nanofluid has high potential as a surface-washing agent.•70 % of oil on sand can be removed through washing with CNC.•Experimental and modeling analyses were conducted to study oil removal using CNC.•The performance of CNC-based nanofluid was impacted by environmental conditions.•Nanocellulose could mitigate the toxicity of the oil on algae.