Bioremediation control of oil spill in oceans oil spills on. Pdf the effects of oil spills on ecosystem at the persian gulf. For penn state professor of biology, charles fisher, whose research interests include the physiology of the animals and the ecology of the communities that inhabit cold seeps and hydrothermal vents in the deep sea, one of his labs main research sites is the. Ongoing response and restoration efforts are posted to restorethegulf.
The forensic procedures described within represent various methods from scientists throughout the world. Some species of shore birds might escape by relocating if they sense danger in time, but sea birds that swim and dive for their food are most likely to be covered in oil following a spill. What are the environmental effects of chemical spills. The release of crude oil into the environment by oil spills is receiving worldwide attention due to the. Although spill modeling and supporting information systems are well developed, they are not commonly used in response to nonfloating oil spills because of limited environmental data and observations of oil suspended in the water or deposited on the seabed. Then students simulate an oil spill and cleanup both before and after the use of dispersants. For more than two decades, epas spill prevention, control, and countermeasures, or spcc program, has worked at several hundred thousand oil storage. Acute effects are more immediately evident and typically result from relatively short duration, highexposure conditions. Influence of dispersants on the bioavailability and trophic transfer of petroleum hydrocarbons to. Although numerous oil spills have impacted the world, this study focuses on two oil spills in the gulf of mexico, the ixtoc i oil spill 1979 and the deepwater horizon oil spill 2010 dwh, and the exxon valdez oil spill in alaska 1989.
Prediction of oil spill volumes and areas, resource utilisation planning. Journal of geography, environment and earth science international 43. Diesel fuel is considered a nonpersistent oil as compared to a heavier bunker or crude oil product in even the most calm sea conditions, as it will lose 40% of its volume due to evaporation within 48 hours in cold weather. Oil spill environmental forensics case studies 1st edition. Sep 29, 2016 aeg environmental is there for diesel fuel accidents.
Hydrocarbon oil spill cleanup and remediation in the niger delta john onwuteaka 1 1department of applied and environmental biology, rivers state university of science and. Depending on the magnitude of the spill and its location, the effects can vary, ranging from minimal to serious ones. Effects on plants, animals, and the environment oil spill checkpoint lab 4 students in each team each person will receive a copy of this checkpoint lab follow directions on the student page green cups side up when working red cup side. Environmental spill meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. A common perception of the effects of oil in the environment is captured in the evocative photographs and footage of oiled wildlife struggling after exposure to a spill. This is because marine oil spills can have a serious economic impact on coastal activities, as well as on those who exploit the. Several oil spill management policy and efforts are in place to reduce the menace of oil spill incidents in the country.
Chennai oil spill could severely impact marine life. Oil covered birds are a universal symbol of environmental damage wreaked by oil spills. Effects of oil spills on environment expert available. This gloomy possibility was buried deep in the operators environmental impact assessment eia, which consists of 1418 pages. Environmental effects of oil pollution on the ecosystem components.
Line boats to ensure safe mooring of tankers at the lng loading jetty and tlu during the icefree. The effect of an oil spill on the environment does not necessarily depend on the size of the spill. Pipeline spills could have significant impacts on communities, environments, and economies. Effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on aquatic animals m. Similarly, the lempertkeeneseastrand oil spill prevention and response ospr act of 1991 established the oil spill response program in california and directed the administrator of ospr to develop a research program designed to examine the effects of oil and oil spill response technologies on the environment. As previously described, when oil is present in the environment, it is either dispersed in the top layer of the water littoral zone or remains on the surface and, consequently, on. When aeg environmental is dispatched to the scene of a diesel fuel accident, we will work quickly to stop the spill. Oil leaks or spills large and small are never good news in a marine and coastal environment. Learn more about the effects of oil spills on marine ecosystems and some statistics on the worlds largest oil spills. Oct 24, 2012 it was the first confirmed sighting of a dead whale since the bp oil spill in the gulf of mexico in april that year a time of huge public interest in the fate of whales, dolphins, sea turtles. What effects do oil spills have on the environment.
Ultimately, the impact of oil on marine organisms depends on the fate of the oil. We aimed to illustrate the important features of the data set utilizing a blend of analytics and graphics executed through. On april 20, 2010, the oil drilling rig deepwater horizon, operating in the macondo prospect in the gulf of mexico, exploded and sank resulting in the death of 11 workers on the deepwater horizon and the largest spill of oil in the history of marine oil drilling operations. While major oil spills are rare, oil slicks can have disastrous environmental and economic consequences. Oil spills have many adverse effects on the environment. Increasing evidence, largely from the prestige oil spill, suggests that cleanup workers may also experience longterm respiratory effects and chromosomal damage. Acute toxicity, mechanical injury, and persistence oil has three main environmental impacts. Crude oil contains substances that can cause acute as well as chronic health effects. This happens because of human activity and it is pollution. Ecological impacts of the deepwater horizon oil spill. Pdf threedimensional oil spill modelling for coastal waters. Ennore oil spill is endangering environment and livelihoods in chennai its hard to predict the enormity of its impact on aquatic as well as human life as the city wonders how long the spill. Physicochemical analysis of soil samples at an oil spill site in a typic udipsamment of the niger delta basin of nigeria showed that the total hydrocarbon content of top soil layers ranged from 18. Cleanup operation was conducted by official and contract responders as well as volunteers for massive oil containment and removal of heavy accumulations of stranded oil.
The term often refers to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters. Smokestacks of thermal power plants, smelters and other industries release particulate and gaseous air pollutants together with harmless gases, such as nitrogen, oxygen, etc. Much of the oil we use is deep below the surface of the earth, oftentimes in the middle of the ocean. Simulate an oil spill cleanup national geographic society. Oilmapweb is a web based system for modelling oil releases.
Oil pollution and its environmental impact in the arabian. According to wikipedia article, environmental impact of the deepwater horizon oil spill 1. The following information is a guide to the potential harm that an oil spill can cause. Environmental impact of deepwater horizon oil spill vision. Lessons for study of the health effects of oil spills. Proceedings of the exxon valdez oil spill symposium. The sea empress oil spill occurred at the entrance to the milford haven waterway in pembrokeshire, wales on 15 february 1996. Mental health issues are a significant concern after disasters such as the deepwater horizon oil spill in the gulf of mexico in 2010.
Students will be aware of the dangers of oil spills and will be able to explain why oil spills have such a devastating effect on the environment. The concentration of hydrocarbons in the medium impact zone ranged from 10. Effects of spilled oil on the environment spillresponse. List of books and articles about oil pollution online. Fate, effect, behaviour and environmental impacts as the products weather hydrocarbons marine diesel. The 2010 bp deepwater horizon offshore oil spill in the gulf of mexico, for example, occurred during prime mating and nesting season for many bird and marine species, and longterm environmental consequences of that spill wont be known for years. The us fish and wildlife service provided a data set of 7,229 bird records. In response to the bp oil spill, epa monitored air, water, sediment, and waste generated by the cleanup operations. The dwh spill was the largest environmental disaster and response effort in u. Oil spills have been a major environmental concern when it comes to humans, land and water, aquatic and wild life. Pdf in a world with increasing crude oil production, oil spill accidents cannot be neglected when addressing pollution issues.
The hebei spirit oil spill hsos on december 7, 2007 was the worst oil spill recorded in korea, with the release of approximately 10,900 tons of crude oil and 375 km of coastline polluted along the west coast of korea. Oil spills maybe due to release of crude oil, off shore platforms, drilling rigs, and wells as well as spills of refined petroleum products. Oil spills can have disastrous consequences for society. The dangers of diesel fuel spills aeg environmental.
Oil spill environmental forensics provides a complete view of the various forensic techniques used to identify the source of an oil spill into the environment. Oil spill research strategy 1 introduction the environmental protection agencys epa oil spill research program has been in existence since 1990, following the exxon valdez oil spill and enactment of the oil pollution act of 1990 opa90. Us downplayed effect of deepwater oil spill on whales, emails. Presents opposing viewpoints on such aspects of the oil spill as its effects on marine life and offshore drilling, and features topical model essays and writing exercises includes bibliographical references pages 117122 and index introduction. Dec 27, 20 the deepwater horizon oil spill was an ecologically devastating event in the gulf of mexico, which saw the estimated release of over 4 million barrels of oil after flowing for three months in 2010. Oil spill effects on environments can be catastrophic. Environmental impacts and recovery after the hebei spirit. The goal of this challenge is to clean up all of the oil from the feathers and from the water. Sep 17, 2008 d prevention on land measures that can be taken to avoid oils from being discharged from landbased sources into the marine environment.
Effect of crude oil pollution on some soil physical properties. For instance, oil spills can have a major impact on the temporary animal and fish loss of habitat. Domestic oil production has increased in recent years, and vast quantities of oil continually enter the country via vessel or pipeline, moving throughout the. Pdf assessing the impact of oil spills on marine organisms. When oil began gushing into the gulf of mexico after bps deepwater horizon drilling rig exploded in april 2010, politicians and the public were. An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the. While the impacts represented by this kind of outcome are only a few of the many possible, they are visually compelling, memorable, and by default assumed by many to be. Oil spills and there effects on sea life oil spill. In 2010, deepwater horizon created what has been regularly called the worst environmental disaster in the united states. What epa is doing epa response to bp spill in the gulf. Pdf crude oil, refined petroleum products, as well as polycyclic aromatic.
Badejo abstract nigeria has a coastline of approximately 853km facing the atlantic ocean. The effect of oil spillage and other industrial wastes on our environment have been a major concern in the warri area. Causes, consequences, prevention, and countermeasures. In total, nearly 5 million barrels of crude oil were spilled into the gulf of mexico, affecting marine life, tourism, and personal livelihoods. Exxons environmental impact assessment revealsit could. Threedimensional oil spill modelling for coastal waters. Aug 04, 2010 oil leaks or spills large and small are never good news in a marine and coastal environment.
Oil spill is one type of pollution of sea water due to human activities. Probably the most wellknown and publicized is the effect on mammals and birds who are unlucky enough to be caught in the area of a spill. Download as ppt, pdf, txt or read online from scribd. Download a pdf of assessing the effects of the gulf of mexico oil spill on human health by the institute of medicine for free. The deepwater horizon explosion environmental studies. Crude oil spills in the environment, effects and some innovative.
We find that nearby oil spills double the neonatal mortality rate. Vulnerability of coastal environments to oil spill impacts. The gulf coast oil spill has no doubt already impacted many species of fish as it is pulled into and travels along the ocean currents. It is within this complex multiscale, spatial, and temporal environment that we are. Although significant steps have been taken over the last 15 years to reduce the size and frequency of oil spills, the sheer volume of petroleum consumed in this country and the complex production and distribution network required to meet the demand make spills of oil and other petroleum products. Studies in the gulf of mexico should investigate acute. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get.
In 1998, 40,000 barrels of oil from mobil platform off the akwa ibom coast were spilt into the environment causing severe damage to the coastal environment. The deepwater horizon dwh oil rig exploded on april 20, 2010, initiating the discharge of over 800 million liters of oil into the gulf of mexico over approximately three months table 1 and figure 1. When speaking about animals and their preservation the topic of habitat and environment must also be presented. When a diesel fuel accident happens, you need a spill response team that acts decisively and contains the spill effectively to minimize the impact on the environment. Working in an oil spill environment is a hazardous operation. The opa90 authorizes the epa office of research and development ord to conduct oil spill research.
Eventually the oil can sink into the sea bed or remain under the water. Deepwater horizon bp gulf of mexico oil spill us epa. Oil spills affect the oceans at spatial scales of tens of square meters to. Although we do not know the total effects of oil on the environment, we can make some generalities. If an oil spill occurs due to exxonmobils operations, it could take a decade or more for the country to fully recover. Animals cannot exist if they have no suitable place to live, hunt, breed and eat. Click download or read online button to get proceedings of the exxon valdez oil spill symposium book now. These will be discussed in this paragraph as well as the vulnerability of different ecosystems and specific species. Impacts and management of oil spill pollution along the nigerian coastal areas peter c. Previous epidemiologic studies of oil spills have primarily focused on acute physical effects and psychological sequelae. Effect of crude oil pollution on some soil physical properties ewetola e.
When oils rigs malfunction, thousands of tons of oil can seep into the environment. Many procedures are used to clean up oil spilled in marine environments. Oil spill environmental forensics case studies includes 34 chapters that serve to present various aspects of environmental forensics in relation to realworld oil spill case studies from around the globe. Potential environmental impacts of oil spills in greenland. Pdf crude oils spills in the environment, effects and some. An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. Authors representing academic, government, and private researcher groups from 14 countries bring a diverse and global perspective to this volume. Once the safety issues or hazards have been identified, the next step is to control them. This study was designed to assess the mental health effects on residents of areas of southeastern louisiana affected by the oil spill. Summary of oil spills prevention and response plan for. Ddd estimates show that the net effect of the oil spill caused a statistically significant decrease in home prices of 48% that persisted for at least five years. Assessing the effects of the gulf of mexico oil spill on.
Study some important facts about oil spills by answering the questions on this online quiz and worksheet. When an oil spill occurs, many elements of the environment may be affected. The sea empress was en route to the texaco oil refinery near pembroke when she became grounded on midchannel rocks at st. Transfer of contaminants to marine biota and the human consumer and. An oil spill is liquid petroleum that is released into the environment. This can impact burrowing animals, such as crabs or bottom feeders. The oil spill in the gulf of mexico is a disaster that will affect wildlife in the oceans and on the shores for a long time. Oilmapweb fills the need for remote modelling of oil spills when a spill occurs. Get an answer for what are the environmental effects of chemical spills. Apr 30, 2010 harry smith interviews environmental toxicologist luann white about the biggest environmental concern for the louisiana coast. Oil spills adverse effects on marine environmental bio. Jul 16, 2016 there are a number of ways oil effects the environment. Bp has paid billions of dollars in order to help lessen the environmental impact. Assessment of biological characteristics on coastal environment of dubai during oil spill 14 april 2001 s.
According to epas website the best way we can best avoid the environmental and economic effects of oil spills by preventing and containing them in the first place. Hydrocarbon oil spill cleanup and remediation in the niger delta. It includes simple procedures for simulating a spill using wind and hydrodynamic data and specifying spill parameters. Simulate an oil spill cleanup students read about oil spills and the 2010 gulf of mexico oil spill and geolocate the deepwater horizon spill on a map. Abosede department of crop production and soil science ladoke akintola university of technology, p. Introduction oil spills oil sources crude oil major marine oil spill incidents effects of oil spills strategies for oil spill cleanup a. The marine ecosystem is a highly complex environment and natural fluctuations in. An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment especially marine areas, due to human activity and is the form of pollution. Oil spills solutions pennsylvania state university. Combating, prevention and treatment of oil pollution. Near to the disaster site, but lying covertly nestled at seemingly safe and immensely pressurepacked depths, are deepwater coral. Conclusions and recommendations related chapters glossary bibliography biographical sketch summary this chapter aims to present the main environmental impacts of the oil and gas industry throughout the stages of exploration and discovery of new deposits, hydrocarbon production and oil refining.
The effects of the bp deepwater horizon oil spill on. Oil spill control oil spills can occur when there is a problem with an oil well, when a pipeline ruptures or leaks or when there is a transportation accident. Oil spill contingency plans, therefore, specify appropriate response to spills. Impacts and management of oil spill pollution along the. After the cleanup efforts have ceased and the attention on the spill has slowed, oil can still have an impact on the environment. This write up provides a detailed study of oil spillage. Moreover, the strong lipid transfer by the food chain. Background and governance congressional research service summary oil is a primary source of energy in the united states. Oil spills can disrupt migratory patterns by contaminating areas where migrating birds normally stop. It provides rapid predictions of the movement of spilled oil. Environmental management in oil and gas exploration and.
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