The 2010 deepwater horizon rig explosion and your health. These effects can depend on what kind of oil was spilled and where on land, in a river, or in the ocean. The impacts of the deepwater horizon oil spill stretched beyond the. Schematic diagram depicting the effects of a large oil spill on mangrove forests 2 figure 3. Oil spill monitoring handbook 3 currently, only type i oil spill monitoring costs are reimbursed by amsa and the msa under the respective australian and new zealand national marine pollution arrangements. Material safety data sheet whmis pictograms whmis classification protective clothing section 1. The effects of the bp deepwater horizon oil spill on.
Given the highly charged and emotional reaction usually associated with oil spills, it can be difficult to obtain a balanced view of the realities of spill effects. Crude oil spills in the environment, effects and some. North carolina, niehs responded immediately to the 2010 deepwater horizon oil rig explosion, by providing safety training. The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. Oil spills and air pollution santa barbara county air. Badejo abstract nigeria has a coastline of approximately 853km facing the atlantic ocean. What are the environmental effects of chemical spills. Effects of oil spills on marine and coastal wildlife1 edis. Aug, 2016 oil pollution is most common in large water bodies like seas and oceans. Impacts and management of oil spill pollution along the nigerian coastal areas peter c.
The effects of oil spills throughout the world may be the same since the vegetation. Impacts and management of oil spill pollution along the. Implications of oil spills for first nations communities health effects of oil spills. Selected studies on the human health effects of oil spills. A little fresh water flows into it from the tigris and euphrates rivers via the shattalarab and a few intermittently flowing creeks. The exxon valdez oil spill occurred in prince william sound, alaska, march 24, 1989, when exxon valdez, an oil tanker owned by exxon shipping company, bound for long beach, california, struck prince william sounds bligh reef, 1.
Pdf in a world with increasing crude oil production, oil spill accidents cannot be neglected when addressing pollution issues. 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. One of the most difficult decisions that oil spill responders and natural resources managers face during a spill is evaluating the environmental tradeoffs associated with dispersant use. Fisheries resources include five species of salmon, shellfish, finfish, and bottomfish. Instead, t he technologies employed by bp to respond to the. Nearly two million gallons of dispersants were used at the waters surface and a mile below the surface to combat oil during the. However, both parties will have to experience negative effects of the oil spill at the end of the day. Oil spills frequently kill marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, seals, and sea otters. Oil spill occurs due to the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the aquatic environment. Oil spills have many adverse effects on the environment. Department of civil engineering, university of ibadan, ibadan, nigeria.
However details of the potential biological damage will depend on the ecosystem where the spill occurred. The effects of oil spills can cause a huge damage to the world. Feb 25, 2019 in general, oil spills can affect animals and plants in two ways. Short and longterm health impacts of marine and terrestrial oil spills. Approximately 3 million gallons of oil or refined petroleum products are spilled into u. Most often, spilled oil strands on the shoreline and requires cleanup efforts, though care is needed to minimize additional harm that can slow overall recovery. The impact of oil spills can also ruin the infrastructure and economy of a particular area with the longterm effects being felt for decades. Oil spills can impact wildlife directly through three primary. Although the term oil spill often makes people think of spills in the ocean and coastal waters, such as in 2010 during the deepwater horizon oil spill in the gulf of mexico or the 1989 exxon valdez oil spill in alaska, it also refers to land spills, too. Nine years later, the bp oil spills environmental mess. Although there have been numerous oil spills in history, these two spills were chosen because they were the largest in volume and time.
The bp oil spill happened on april 10th at approximately 11. An oil discharge continued for 84 days, resulting in the largest oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry, estimated at approximately 206 million. The service responds to oil spills to minimize impacts to trust resources. Sources of crude oil into some marine ecosystem are listed in table 2. The gulf oil spill disintegrated this island youtube. If you need to print pages from this book, we recommend downloading it as a pdf. Dispersants do not remove oil from the water, but instead breakthe oil.
It is shown that after a spill, mortality rates increased incredibly after an oil spill. Other factors include what kind of exposure and how much exposure there was. Oil pollution is primarily a manmade pollution and is a result of human irresponsible activities. The most apparent effect of oil spills is the impact they have on the water itself. Oil spills are particularly devastating to species that depend on the health of the ocean for their own survival. Health consequences of the deepwater horizon oil spill. The major focus of this research was on the oil spills near the gulf of mexico.
For instance, oil spills can have a major impact on the temporary animal and fish loss of habitat. Health effects of oil spills and implications for public. Marine water is especially affected by this form of pollution. Angela eykelbosh environmental health and knowledge translation scientist in collaboration with. Larissa graham, christine hale, emily maungdouglass, stephen sempier, tara skelton, ladon swann, and monica wilson. Fate, effect, behaviour and environmental impacts as the products weather hydrocarbons marine diesel. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land. Review on the effects of exposure to spilled oils on human health. Oil spill effects ocean pollution marine life impact law. Most often, spilled oil strands on the shoreline and requires cleanup efforts, though care is needed to. Oil coats fur of otters and seals, leaving them vulnerable to hypothermia. After the deepwater horizon oil spill, the public worried that the oil spill caused health problems. Effect of diesel oil contamination on soil natural recharge of groundwater. This is not definative as it only studies one species after one oil spill, but it is clear that the oil did have a long term effect on the species.
The human health implications of crude oil spills in the. A video about the effects of oil spills on marine life. The bp oil spill is one of the largest spills in the history of the u. Potential environmental impacts of oil spills in greenland. In new orleans, the temperature is 91f, with a heat index of 100f, and i know from my experience reporting on the spill that the gulf sun is merciless. The deepwater horizon oil spill and the gulf of mexico fishing industry congressional research service 3 region. May 24, 2016 effects of exposure to oil spills on human health. In tidal flats and salt marshes, oil may seep into the muddy bottoms.
Therefore, plant, animal, and human exposure to the most toxic substances are reduced with time, and. 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. A california senate select committee on the refugio oil spill has been formed, and an oversight hearing was held june 26 in santa barbara. Sea plants are very important for the survival of marine animals. Get an answer for what are the environmental effects of chemical spills.
Oil spill monitoring handbook for pdfing shoreline scat. Impact the physical and biological effects of an oil spill the behavior of the oil slick the efficiency of various clean up methods the physical and chemical properties of the oil largely determine the thickness and spreading rate of the slick, the formation of emulsions. Implications for impacted first nations communities lessons learned and good practices may 25, 2017 dr. There are some countries who dump oil into the oceans of enemy countries during wars. When the oil is spilled, the water does not mix with oil thus creating a sheen of oil floating on the water. Bp deepwater horizon oil spill and its economic impact. I made this for a class and it was hard it was the first time i ever made something new. A doortodoor health survey was conducted by mdch and the ccphd in each community. On sandy beaches, oil can sink deep into the sediments. On a basic level, oil spill effects will damage waterways, marine life and plants and animals on the land. Effects of oil in these systems have the potential to have longterm impacts on fish and wildlife populations. Graham, christine hale, emily maungdouglass, stephen sempier, ladon swann, and monica wilson. The gulf war kuwait, 1 991 geography of the persian gulf the persian gulf is to all effective purposes a shallow semienclosed inland sea.
The deepwater horizon oil spill and the gulf of mexico. Oilzilla would have combined the ferocity of a hurricane with the longlasting effects of an oil spill. The effects of oil spills on ecosystem at the persian gulf. Understanding both types of impacts can help spill responders minimize overall impacts to ecological communities and help them to recover much more quickly. The national institute of environmental health sciences niehs is part of the national institutes of health. However, efforts for spill containment and recovery are considered to be only moderately effective. How oil harms animals and plants in marine environments. Apr 15, 2015 but the deepwater horizon oil spill killed the mangroves growing there, destroying the root system that held the islands sediment in place. Scientists noted that the prevailing paths of the gulf of mexicos loop current and a detached eddy located to the west kept much of the oil, which. Various research have detailed the toxicological effects of. 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.
The objective of dispersant use is to transfer oil from the water surface into the water column. Specifically, this thesis discusses the impacts of oil spills on microbes, marine organisms, human health and revenue. 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. A single gallon of oil can create an oil slick up to a couple of acres in size. Pdf as oil transportation worldwide continues to increase, many communities are at risk of oil spill disasters and must anticipate and prepare for. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The opa90 authorizes the epa office of research and development ord to conduct oil spill research. These organisms are exposed to various degree of impact during an oil spill accident. Coverage, in these cases, is specifically confined to relevant monitoring undertaken as part of the response and. The community survey obtained information on whether the. 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. The area had previously experienced an oil spill of. Offshore oil spills can do great harm to many components of natural ecosystems. The health impact literature and related work on oil spill responses also identified a.
Assessing the impact of oil spills on marine organisms longdom. Aug 04, 2010 effects of oil spills when oil is spilled or leaked into in waterways and the ocean, it spreads very quickly with the help of wind and currents. The oil and its vapors can irritate and damage their airways and lungs. Some toxic substances in an oil spill may evaporate quickly. The most imminent and serious risk for cleanup workers is perhaps not the oil or the chemicals but the killer gulf heat. Detecting and mitigating oil spills background the deepwater horizon oil spill has revealed that the nations oil companies have spent very little money, when compared to their record breaking profits, to prevent and respond to oil spills. Gulf of mexicos waters, plants, animals, and habitats. Deepwater horizon bp gulf of mexico oil spill us epa. Christine hale, larissa graham, emily maungdouglass, stephen sempier, ladon swann and monica wilson. Marine and coastal wildlife exposed to oil suffer both immediate health problems and longterm changes to their physiology and.
Causes and effects of oil spill on our environment earth. An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The exxon valdez oil spill was a manmade disaster that occurred when exxon valdez, an oil tanker owned by the exxon shipping company, spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil. When an oil spill happens there will be no entry of oxygen in the sea. Schematic showing the different patterns of oil spill impacts to mangrove forests 34 figure 3. Unfortunately, this book cant be printed from the openbook. A visualization of potential oil spill impacts to the gulf of mexico ecosystem, which is home to a variety of habitats and species. Effect of diesel oil contamination on soil natural recharge. Jun 25, 2010 watch times video oil spill anxiety on the bayou. In august 1983 oshika village in rivers state witnessed a spill of 5,000 barrels of oil from ebochabrass ogadabrass 24 pipeline which flooded the lake and swamp forest. Oil spills can disrupt migratory patterns by contaminating areas where migrating birds normally stop. Noil hydraulic fluid page 1 of 2 safety data sheet section 1 product source and identity supplier identity and address product description. It could have flattened the domestic oil industry the way that the three mile island nuclear accident did to the u.
As a result, our predictive capability is probably better for oil spills than for many other types of marine pollutant. Apr 03, 2019 oil spills have major environmental and economic effects. Oil dispersants chemical agents such as surfactants, solvents, and other compounds are used to reduce the effect of oil spills by changing the chemical and physical properties of the oil. See video of the hearing see updates on the recent oil spill off the coast of santa barbara county near refugio beach. 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.
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. This study has become very imperative due to the environmental degradation occasioned by oil spill in odugboro community. The shortterm effects of oil spills on marine species and communities are well known and predictable. Depending on the magnitude of the spill and its location, the effects can vary, ranging from minimal to serious ones. The aquatic ecosystem, particularly the marines are the most vulnerable cairns and buikema, 1984. Hydrocarbon oil spill cleanup and remediation in the niger delta. Oil spill is a common fallout of oil exploitation and exploitation in the niger delta region, with an estimated total of over 7000 oil spill incidents reported over a 50year period. Our ongoing work in the gulf will allow us to better understand the longterm effects of the spill on the. This offers some evidence that there is long term effects of an oil spill. In fact, people cause many oil tankers to release oil into the ocean water on a daily basis. Oil can clog blowholes of whales and dolphins, making it impossible for them to breathe properly and disrupting their ability to communicate. When an oil spill occurs, many elements of the environment may be affected.
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