Oil spill generally refers to the leakage of petroleum onto the surface of a large body of water, though they can occur on land. Marine oil spill happens during the transportation of oil in tankers or when accidentally released from refinery. Underwater pipeline and from offshore oil-drilling rig. Land-based pollution such as industrial effluent and vehicular emission could also contribute to marine oil spill, because the leak from machines and vehicles eventually run into our waterways.
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| Oil Spill |
IMPACT:
Oil on ocean surfaces prevents sufficient amounts of sunlight from penetrating the surface, and it also reduces the level of dissolved oxygen. Crude oil ruins the insulating and water-proofing properties of feathers and fur, and thus oil-coated birds and marine mammals may die from hypothermia. Other effects on sea birds include impaired ability to fly, kidney damage, dehydration and metabolic imbalances. Oil spill also affect fishing industry. Major oil spills are frequently followed by the immediate suspension of commercial fishing to prevent the catch and sale of fish or shellfish that may be contaminated.
SPREADS QUICKLY:
The spilled oil initially floats and later seeps into the water. The oil is stirred by waves and currents and carried away and spread to a larger area. This will affect underwater ecosystem, contaminating or killing fish and smaller organisms that are essential links in the global food chain. When an oil slick from a large spill reaches a beach, it can stick on to rock and sand. This will affect coastal organisms. If the oil washes into coastal marshes, mangrove forests or other wet lands, it will not only damage the plants and trees, but will also make the area unsuitable as a wildlife habitat.
CLEAN-UP METHODS:
| Impact on living organisms |
Oil on ocean surfaces prevents sufficient amounts of sunlight from penetrating the surface, and it also reduces the level of dissolved oxygen. Crude oil ruins the insulating and water-proofing properties of feathers and fur, and thus oil-coated birds and marine mammals may die from hypothermia. Other effects on sea birds include impaired ability to fly, kidney damage, dehydration and metabolic imbalances. Oil spill also affect fishing industry. Major oil spills are frequently followed by the immediate suspension of commercial fishing to prevent the catch and sale of fish or shellfish that may be contaminated.
SPREADS QUICKLY:
CLEAN-UP METHODS:
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| Oil cleaning |
Oil spill cannot be removed 100%. Clean-up methods depend on the amount and type of oil discharged and local condition such as currents, tides, weather, wind speed and direction, air temperature and water temperature, as they determine the spread of the oil.
The most basic method of clean up is to control the spread of oil using physical barriers. Floating booms, typically tubular inflatable buoy with a skirt made of plastic or metal that runs along the tube, are placed around the source of the spill to reduce the spreading of an oil slick. Then different tools are used to remove the oil thus collected within the boom. Often this involves skimmers, which are usually boats that skim spilled water from the surface. Skimmers could also refers to a variety of mechanical equipment used to physically remove, scoop, suck or collect floating spills from the water surface. After most of the oil is removed by skimmers, sorbents are used to absorb oil like a sponge.
Where appropriate, chemical and solvents may be spread over a thick oil slick in order to accelerate its natural dispersion into the sea. Evaporation and bacteria can degrade these tiny droplets more quickly than if they were in a large slick. Dispersants are often used when workers want to stop the slick from spreading to a protected area such as a harbour or marsh. Washing off oil from beaches are also difficult. They are often done using vacuum trucks.
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