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. The sea grant oil spill science outreach team identifies the. Horizon spill,23 demonstrating that the mental health impacts of a spill may be much broader than expected. Oil spills can also have indirect effects on wildlife by causing changes in behavior. Effects of oil spills on marine and coastal wildlife. Gomri is led by an independent and academic 20member research board. The extent of air pollution, health effects and environmental effects depend on factors such as, a amount of oil spill. Many of the impacts may follow this scenario, but a closer look at research on the effects of oil spills have shown that many of the impacts are resolved quickly while other impacts tend to linger. Harmful effects of oil spills on diverse flora and fauna species have been extensively studied. Scientists documented shortterm mental health impacts, but the longterm impacts have been harder to identify.
Oil spills can impact wildlife directly through three primary pathways. Oil spill effects on humans environmental pollution centers. When an oil spill happens there will be no entry of oxygen in the sea. Oil spill impact modeling, which was originally applied to predicting the fate of oil in the environment, has recently been extended to prediction of effects mccay, 2001. In laboratory tests of the toxicity of crude oils to winkles, ottway recorded mortalities ranging from 1% to 89%. The incidences of oil spills however, negatively impacted the niger delta communities and the environment described as one among the worst impacted. However, in most cases environmental recovery is relatively swift, being complete within 210 years. Oil spill response authority is determined by the location of the spill. It can be a huge undertaking to clean up the mess created by the oil spill. Oil spills can cause a wide range of impacts in the marine environment and are often portrayed by the media as. Depending on the magnitude of the spill and its location, the effects can vary, ranging from minimal to serious ones.
Review on the effects of exposure to spilled oils on human health. Oct 07, 2014 petroleum contamination is a growing environmental concern that harms both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Knowledgebased marine conservation in oil spill risk. Water movement rapidly distributes oil over wide areas. The 2010 deepwater horizon oil spill in the gulf of mexico has been described as the worst environmental disaster in the united states, releasing about 4. Impacts and effects of oil spillage in niger delta nigeria. Jun 01, 2002 signatures of oil contamination may persist for many years after an oil spill. Oil spills national oceanic and atmospheric administration. When an oil spill occurs, many elements of the environment may be affected. Consequently, the effects of oil pollution are sufficiently well understood to allow for broad indications of the scale and duration of damage for a given incident. Effects of oil in these systems have the potential to have longterm impacts on fish and wildlife populations.
Economic effects of the bp oil spill the bp oil spill will go down in history as one of the greatest human caused disasters of our time. Pdf on 20 th april, 2010, deepwater horizon oil spill occurred at the gulf of mexico, united states of america where large amount of oil. Pdf environmental effects of the deepwater horizon oil. Environmental impact of the deepwater horizon oil spill. In tidal flats and salt marshes, oil may seep into the muddy bottoms. Pdf legal consequences of major oil spills dominic e. Implications of oil spills for first nations communities health effects of oil spills. Plant communities on land, marsh grasses in estuaries, and kelp beds in the ocean. In order to ensure the supply of quality fish protein, there is a fervent need to monitor the safety of the aquatic habitat with respect to human activities.
Sep 06, 2018 oil spillage is a form of pollution, which involves the release of a liquid petroleum into the environment due to human activity. Scientists are also developing new ways to determine how exposure to disasters, such as oil spills, impacts the physical and mental health of communities. Terrestrial oil spills have severe and continuing consequences for human communities and the natural environment. Indeed, it is one of the most significant environmental problems facing niger delta nigeria.
Factors such as oil biodegradation, ocean currents and response measures dispersants, burning reduced coastal o. Environmental effects of oil spills perspectives on the. The effect of oil spills on land and water springerlink. Development of short acute exposure hazard estimates.
A large body of work carried out after the exxon valdez spill showed that individuals more severely impacted by the spill, in terms of impacts on livelihoods or contact with spilled oil, were at greater risk of. The international tanker owners pollution federation ltd 1999. Short and longterm health impacts of marine and terrestrial oil spills. Pipeline spills could have significant impacts on communities, environments, and economies. Oil spills maybe due to release of crude oil, off shore platforms, drilling rigs, and wells as well as spills of refined petroleum products. Unfortunately, its unrealistic to rescue all wildlife impacted during oil spills. Nov 07, 2017 a release into the environment of heating oil includes any kind of spill or leak from your oil tank, oil delivery line or other part of your heating system. Since the spill, several prematurely born pups have been found heavily coated with oil. Evaluation of the impacts of oil spill disaster on. They interfere with functioning of various organ systems of plants and animals. Environmental effects of the deepwater horizon oil spill. Students will be able to list ways in which they can help to prevent oil pollution.
However, the public and regulatory and scientific communities have given more attention to the contamination of marine habitats. The rate at which an oil spill spreads will determine its effect on the environment. May 06, 2011 impacts of the oil spill and then gradually claim that the effects of the oil spill will soon return to pre spill conditions. The marine ecosystem is a highly complex environment and natural fluctuations in species abundance and distribution are a feature of the normal way it functions. Various research have detailed the toxicological effects of oil such as increased mortality or as sublethal injury, impaired feeding and reproduction and avoiding predators on fish communities 9,10, estuarine communities, mammals, birds and turtles 11,12, deepwater corals, plankton. Causes and effects of oil spill on our environment earth. Impacts of oil spills on vertebrates fish oil spills affect fishes in various ways. Longterm environmental impact of oil spills sciencedirect. According to carla 2000 oil spills are the uncontrolled discharge of oil or its by products including chemicals and wastes, into the environment. Heavy oils may affect several organism functions like respiration, feeding, and. Pdf on sep 15, 2016, jonny beyer and others published environmental effects of the deepwater horizon oil spill.
A tool for assessing the effects of chemical spills in aquatic environments pdf, 1. Oil spill pollution and its effects an oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. Implications for impacted first nations communities lessons learned and good practices may 25, 2017 dr. More so, oil spillages from these pipelines do occur resulting in environmental degradation. The oil spill impacted the fishing and seafood, tour.
The spill was by far the largest in us history, almost 20 times greater than the usual estimate of the exxon valdez oil spill. Oil and chemical spill research publications response. Mar 19, 2015 oil spills have severe effects on the ecosystems and environment as a whole. On sandy beaches, oil can sink deep into the sediments. The oil spill was called the worst environmental disaster the us has faced by white house energy adviser carol browner. For instance, oil spills can have a major impact on the temporary animal and fish loss of habitat. S coast guard is primarily responsible for cleaning up oil spills, while noaa experts provide scientific support to make smart decisions that protect people and the environment. The dissertation is concerned with the effects of oil spills on the environment, using. The kuwait war oil spill this is the worlds largest manmade oil spill and the only one in recent times resulting from the deliberate actions of the people who caused it. The environmental impact of oil spills has been extensively researched over the past 30 years and a considerable amount has been learnt about the nature and duration of such effects. Our understanding of oil toxicity has expanded by studying the effects of the 2010 deepwater horizon oil spill. The spills studied were from the bargeflorida, and tankersarrow, argo merchant, amoco cadiz, andtsesis and. Department of commerce national institute of standards and technology formerly national bureau of standards national engineering laboratory center for fire research gaithersburg, md 20899 september 1987.
Health effects of oil spills and implications for public. As a result, our predictive capability is probably better for oil spills than for many other types of marine pollutant. It is essential that the effected is cleaned as well as it can be to allow the ecosystems in that area to readjust and recover from the shock they have just experienced. Understanding oil spills and oil spill response pdf us epa. Both the spill and the cleanup efforts had effects on the environment the oil spill was called the worst environmental disaster the us. Dep refers to all types of spills, leaks and other contamination by the term release. Oil has accumulated on the skin and hair of seals, giving them a tarry, sticky coat. Angela eykelbosh environmental health and knowledge translation scientist in collaboration with. This study examines oil spill as a major environmental problem that affects fish production in. Sea plants are very important for the survival of marine animals. When oil spill occurs, the oil being less dencse than water floats. The term is mostly used to describe marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters.
Effects of oil spills on marine and coastal wildlife1 edis. Government agencies closed oiled waters to recreational and commercial fishing. Oil spills might take several months or even years to clean up. Wildlife recovery, cleaning, and rehabilitation is often an important part of oil spill response. Oil spill effects on environment pdf 8 juin 2017, 07. Species that spend time at the surface of the water will be impacted most during the early stages of the spill. This oil spill has interrupted a very delicate ecosystem that many industries in our country depend on to operate their businesses and hindering. Weeks after the event, and while it was still in progress, the 2. The economic and biological impacts of the bp oil spill. Oil pollution occurs when crude oil and its refined products are spilled into the environment by the activities of man. This study examines oil spill as a major environmental problem that affects fish production in the niger delta drawing from econometric techniques of the cobbdouglas production form to ascertain a statistical relationship and suggest possible policy implications for a sustainable economic environment for fish production. However, in most cases, environmental recovery is relatively swift and is complete within 210 years. The health impact literature and related work on oil spill responses also identified a.
Once the oil begins to wash ashore, species that forage and nest along the shoreline are. Depending on the environmental conditions, the spilled oil may linger in the environment for long periods of time, adding to the detrimental effects. Wildlife to oil spills the vulnerability of various species of wildlife to an offshore oil spill changes as time since the spill increases. Summary of information concerning the ecological and. Oil spills have potential to cause air pollution episodes depending on a number of factors.
Potential environmental impacts of oil spills in greenland. Much oil spread at 11000m depth, contaminating and affecting deepwater habitats. Factors which affect the ability of an oil spill to spread include surface tension, specific gravity, and viscosity. Despite this, spill experts estimate that 30%50% of oil spills are either directly or indirectly caused by human error, with 20%40% of all spills caused by equipment failure or malfunction. The pipeline that cuts across the study area is a transniger trunk line that transports 120,000 to 150,000 barrels of crude oil per day, running from the hinterlands through gokhana and link to the bonny terminal where. This article covers the effect of the deepwater horizon disaster and the resulting oil spill on global and national economies and the energy industry. Oil spills are harmful to marine mammals and birds as well as fish and. Gulf oil spill released approximately 171 million gallons of oil. Booms were used to contain oil that might run off the shore during cleanup pony open waters and protect unimpacted shoreline. Both the spill and the cleanup efforts had effects on the environment. If a spill causes direct mortality to the food resources. A scientific appraisal of typical oil spill effects reveals that, while damage occurs and can be profound at the level of individual organisms, populations are more resilient. Map courtesy exxon valdez oil spill trustees council. Economic effects of the deepwater horizon oil spill.
This is because marine oil spills can have a serious economic impact on coastal activities, as well as on those who exploit the resources of the sea. The consequences of oil spills are more severe in aquatic ecosystem. Wildlife and sensitive environments susceptibility to oil spills most biological communities ar e susceptible to the effects of oil spills. A large body of work carried out after the exxon valdez spill showed that individuals more severely impacted by the spill, in terms of impacts on livelihoods or contact with spilled oil. Most oils tend to spread horizontally into a smooth and slippery surface, called a slick, on top of the water. Estimates vary, but the average considers that a minimum of 350 million gallons to a maximum of 560 million gallons of oil were discharged into the persian gulf. The oil environmental impact on water in damaging in a variety of ways. However wildlife is difficult to find and catch, oil spills can happen over wide areas, and some animals like whales are too big to recover. Information about environmental sampling, cleanup efforts and other aspects of the spill response are available elsewhere. Many harbor seals, and some of the haulouts they use, were heavily coated with oil in the area hardest hit by the exxon valdez oil spill. Oil contamination may persist in the marine environment for many years after an oil spill and, in exceptional cases such as salt marshes and mangrove swamps, the effects may be measurable for decades after the event.
The deepwater horizon oil spill constituted an ecosystemlevel injury in the northern gulf of mexico. The exxon valdez oil spill stretched from bligh reef 460 miles to the village of chignik on the alaska peninsula. Oil spills have produced measurable effects on ecosystems that have not. There are different equipment and tactics that trained experts can use to contain or remove oil from the environment when a spill occurs. Page 4 summary of information concerning the ecological and economic impacts of the bp deepwater horizon. Oil has accumulated in thick bands and puddles on some haulouts.
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