Oil Pollution
- Created by: emzibee
- Created on: 17-05-15 11:22
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- Oil Pollution
- Sources
- Natural processes
- Marine Seepage- 20,000 - 200,000 tpy
- Sediment Erosion - 5,000 - 50,000 tpy
- Tanker Discharge - 200,000 tpy
- Natural processes
- Properties
- Water Insoluble
- Volatile (can easily evaporate)
- less dense than water
- Persistant
- Flammable
- Toxic
- Mobile
- photodegradable
- biodegradable
- Varying Viscosites
- Effects
- Direct effects
- Toxicity kills organism as they preen or clean themselves and inject the oil
- Suffocation e.g. oil covers gills
- oil damages waterproofing compounds on feathers - Birds die of hypothermia
- oil sticks to feathers - makes flying and swimming impossible
- oil blocks light - reducing or stopping photosynthesis
- oil coating affects marine mammals bouyancy
- deoxygenation - oil forms a barrier, blocking Oxygen diffusion
- Chicks ingest contaminated food offered by adults
- Oil in the water reduces ability of organisms to locate food or avoid predators
- Indirect Effects
- smell of oil can mask the smell of potential mates
- food chain disruption
- biodegredation increases BOD therefore decreases DO
- adult birds spend time preening themselves - neglecting chicks
- effects on Sonar/signalling communication by whales and Dolphins
- Increased temperature of water due to insulating effect of oil
- increases metabolic rate further decreasing oxygen
- Direct effects
- Clean Up Methods
- Manual Recovery
- Dispersants
- Pumping
- Steam Cleaning
- Setting Fire to small oil slicks
- Boons - underwater fences
- Sources
- BOD = Biochemical Oxygen Demand
- DO = Dissolved Oxygen
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