ÌOil,SpillsÍ
ÌOverviewÍ
- What are oil spills, and why do they happen?
- An oil spill's impact on the environment
- Real life example: BP Oil Spill
- Possible solutions for cleaning oil spills
ÌWhat,are,oil,spillsÍ
Oil spills are a form of pollution that occur when through human activity, an accident occurs and the oil is released into the surrounding waters
ÌWhen,do,they,happenÍ
It occurs due to human activity such as making a mistake or being careless and is sometimes deliberately dumped illegally, it can also occur because of equipment breaking down and very rarely, natural disasters like hurricanes.
ÌSo,Why,are,oil,spills,badÍ
Severe damage to the ocean ecosystem in several ways:
- Oil drilling and production release pollution into the water on a daily basis:
A single production platform can discharge over 90,000 tonnes of toxic waste into the ocean on average during its lifetime. - Since 1997, the Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board recorded 337 oil spills from three rigs, dumping an estimated 430,000 litres of synthetic drilling fluids and hydrocarbons into the ocean.
- After a major spill, shorelines can remain polluted for decades; even now, 20 years after Exxon Valdez spilled its oil, raw crude oil can still be found in the beaches.
- Significant damage and harm towards species in the ecosystem:
- Oil and the chemicals it is made up of are poisonous, causing danger to animals that ingest it.
- It can also smother small animals, blocking respiratory systems.
- Sea otters and birds if coated in oil can affect their ability to maintain body temperature and may even die of hypothermia.
- Study on bottlenose dolphins showed a link between contaminated areas and higher mortalities as well as disease conditions.
ÌReal,Life,Example:The,Infamous,BP,Oil,Spill,of,2010Í
- On April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico, near Southern United States, an oil rig called Deepwater Horizon exploded, killing 11 people and releasing around 35,000 - 60,000 barrels of oil per day.
- Was not fixed until the spill was plugged on July 15, 2010, release 4 million barrels
- Plants & animals in the ecosystem were covered in the oil, and soon after seabirds, turtles, fish and dolphins were found dead, causing massive damage to the ecosystem.
- Fishing was banned and tourism declined as a result
- BP was fined $18.7 billion in damage soon after.
ÌSynthetic,Aperature,RadarÍ
ÌSynthetic,Aperature,RadarÍ
ÌHydrocarbon-Degrading,BacteriaÍ
ÌWhat,can,be,done,to,fix,oil,spillsÍ
While it cannot be entirely avoided due to the fact that oil spills are generally a byproduct of accidents, measures can be taken to minimize the risk of an oil spill as well as to mitigate its impact and clean it up.
- To minimize the chances of oil spills occurring, stricter regulations can be enforced such as more routine inspections and maintenance of equipment.
- Reinforcing vessels like oil tankers with a double hull to reduce risk and severity of a spill
- To clean up oil spills one can use skimmer machines to remove oil from the water though various methods
- Oil dispersant (like Corexit 9527) can be used, although with side effects such as high toxicity
ÌWhat,can,be,done,to,fix,oil,spills,,(cont.)Í
- Herding agents can be used to cause the oil to 'clump' together, making larger slicks that can be collected
- Some organisms have been discovered with the ability to break down oil, like the bacteria Alcanivorax borkumensis
- Oil spills can be monitored through a satellite called synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
- Oil spills can be also be monitored as morning oils absorb light and release thermal energy, allowing detection through remote sensing.