An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. Liquid is one of the principal States of matter. A liquid is a Fluid that has the particles loose and can freely form a distinct surface at the boundaries of Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit In Organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an Organic compound consisting entirely of Hydrogen and Carbon. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in The term often refers to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters. Marine is an Umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the Sea or Ocean, such as Marine biology, Marine An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most The oil may be a variety of materials, including crude oil, refined petroleum products (such as gasoline or diesel fuel) or by-products, ships' bunkers, oily refuse or oil mixed in waste. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Diesel or Diesel fuel (ˈdiːzəl in general is any Fuel used in Diesel engines The most common is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum A ship /ʃɪp/ is a large vessel that floats on water Ships are generally distinguished from Boats based on size WASTE is a Peer-to-peer and Friend-to-friend protocol and software application developed by Justin Frankel at Nullsoft in 2003 that features Spills take months or even years to clean up.

Oil is also released into the environment from natural geologic seeps on the sea floor. Geology (from Greek γη gê, "earth" and λόγος Logos, "speech" lit "Ocean Floor" redirects here For the 2001 song by Audio Adrenaline, see Lift (Audio Adrenaline album. ^[1] Most human-made oil pollution comes from land-based activity, but public attention and regulation has tended to focus most sharply on seagoing oil tankers. ^[2]

Contents 1 Environmental effects 2 Largest oil spills 3 Estimating the volume of a spill 4 Methods of cleaning 4.1 Prevention 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links

Environmental effects

The oil penetrates and opens up the structure of the plumage of birds, reducing its insulating ability, and so making the birds more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much less buoyant in the water. Plumage refers both to the layer of Feathers that cover a Bird and the pattern colour and arrangement of those feathers In Physics, buoyancy ( BrE IPA: /ˈbɔɪənsi/ is the upward Force on an object produced by the surrounding liquid or gas in which it is It also impairs birds' flight abilities, making it difficult or impossible to forage and escape from predators. As they attempt to preen, birds typically ingest oil that coats their feathers, causing kidney damage, altered liver function, and digestive tract irritation. Personal grooming (also called titivating) is the art of cleaning grooming and maintaining parts of the body The kidneys are complicated organs that have numerous biological roles The liver is a vital organ in the human body and is present in Vertebrates and some other animals This and the limited foraging ability quickly causes dehydration and metabolic imbalances. Dehydration ( hypohydration) is the removal of Water ( hydro in ancient Greek) from an object Metabolism is the set of Chemical reactions that occur in living Organisms in order to maintain Life. Most birds affected by an oil spill die unless there is human intervention. ^[3][4]

Marine mammals exposed to oil spills are affected in similar ways as seabirds. Marine mammals are a diverse group of roughly 120 species of Mammal that are primarily Ocean -dwelling or depend on the ocean for food Oil coats the fur of Sea otters and seals, reducing its insulation abilities and leading to body temperature fluctuations and hypothermia. The sea otter ( Enhydra lutris) is a Marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising Core temperature, also called core body temperature, is the operating Temperature of an Organism, specifically in deep structures of the body such as the Hypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal Metabolism and bodily functions Ingestion of the oil causes dehydration and impaired digestion.

Largest oil spills

Main article: List of oil spills

Oil Spills of over 100,000 tonnes or 30 million US gallons, ordered by Tonnes^[a]

Spill / Tanker	Location	Date	*Tonnes of crude oil	Reference
Gulf War oil spill	Persian Gulf	January 23, 1991	136,000 - 1,500,000	[5][6]
Ixtoc I oil well	Gulf of Mexico	June 3, 1979- March 23, 1980	454,000 - 480,000	[7]
Atlantic Empress / Aegean Captain	Trinidad and Tobago	July 19, 1979	287,000	[8] [9]
Fergana Valley	Uzbekistan	March 2, 1992	285,000	[6]
Nowruz oil field	Persian Gulf	February 1983	260,000	[10]
ABT Summer	700 nautical miles (1,300 km) off Angola	1991	260,000	[8]
Castillo de Bellver	Saldanha Bay, South Africa	August 6, 1983	252,000	[8]
Amoco Cadiz	Brittany, France	March 16, 1978	223,000	[8] [6]
Amoco Haven tanker disaster	Mediterranean Sea near Genoa, Italy	1991	144,000	[8]
Odyssey	700 nautical miles (1,300 km) off Nova Scotia, Canada	1988	132,000	[8]
Sea Star	Gulf of Oman	December 19, 1972	115,000	[8] [6]
Torrey Canyon	Scilly Isles, UK	March 18, 1967	80,000 - 119,000	[8] [6]
Irenes Serenade	Navarino Bay, Greece	1980	100,000	[8]
Urquiola	A Coruña, Spain	May 12, 1976	100,000	[8]

^a One tonne of crude oil is roughly equal to 308 US gallons, or 7. The Prestige was an Oil tanker whose sinking in 2002 off the Galician coast caused a large Oil spill. List of ships The German Navy ( Deutsche Marine ( is the Navy of Germany and part of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces This is a list of Oil spills throughout the world One tonne of crude oil is roughly equal to 308 US gallons or 7 The Gulf War oil spill is regarded as the worst Oil spill in history resulting from actions taken during the Gulf War in 1991. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Ixtoc I was an exploratory oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, about south of the U The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) The Atlantic Empress was a Greek Oil tanker that was involved in two large oil spills The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley (Farg‘ona vodiysi Kyrgyz: Фергана өрөөнү Tajik: водии Фaрғонa Ферганская долина Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (República de Angola Pronounced ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈgɔlɐ Repubilika ya Ngola is a country in south-central Saldanha Bay is a Natural harbour on the south-western coast of South Africa, north west of Cape Town. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Sequence of events En route from the Persian Gulf to Rotterdam, the Netherlands via a scheduled stop at Lyme Bay, Great Britain the ship encountered Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Court Case Background and Allegations At the centre of the case was the allegation that Stelios Haji-Ioannou and his father Lucas Haji-Ioannou had Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Gulf of Oman or Gulf of Makran ( Arabic: الخليج عمان transliterated: khalīj ʿumān( Urdu / Persian: خليج مکران Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Torrey Canyon was a Supertanker capable of carrying a cargo of 120000 tons of Crude oil, which was wrecked off the western coast of Cornwall The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία A Coruña ( Spanish: La Coruña; Galician: A Coruña; also Corunna in English, and archaically The Groyne) is Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 33 barrels.

Estimating the volume of a spill

Pollution v • d • e

Air pollution

Acid rain • Air Quality Index • Atmospheric dispersion modeling • Chlorofluorocarbon • Global dimming • Global warming • Haze • Indoor air quality • Ozone depletion • Particulate • Smog

Water pollution

Eutrophication • Hypoxia • Marine pollution • Ocean acidification • Oil spill • Ship pollution • Surface runoff • Thermal pollution • Wastewater • Waterborne diseases • Water quality • Water stagnation

Soil contamination

Bioremediation • Herbicide • Pesticide • Soil Guideline Values (SGVs)

Radioactive contamination

Actinides in the environment • Environmental radioactivity • Fission product • Nuclear fallout • Plutonium in the environment • Radiation poisoning • Radium in the environment • Uranium in the environment

Other types of pollution

Invasive species • Light pollution • Noise pollution • Radio spectrum pollution • Visual pollution

Inter-government treaties

Montreal Protocol • Nitrogen Oxide Protocol • Kyoto Protocol • CLRTAP

Major organizations

DEFRA • EPA • Global Atmosphere Watch • Greenpeace • National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Related topics

Environmental Science • Natural environment

By observing the thickness of the film of oil and its appearance on the surface of the water, it is possible to estimate the quantity of oil spilled. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort Acid rain is Rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually Acidic It has harmful effects on plants aquatic animals and infastructure The Air Quality Index ( AQI) is a standardized indicator of the Air Quality in a given location Atmospheric dispersion modeling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. The haloalkanes (also known as halogenoalkanes or alkyl halides) are a group of Chemical compounds consisting of Alkanes such as Methane Global dimming is the gradual reduction in the amount of global direct Irradiance at the Earth 's surface that was observed for several decades after the start of systematic Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the Haze is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon where dust smoke and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky Indoor Air Quality (IAQ deals with the content of interior air that could affect health and comfort of building occupants Ozone depletion describes two distinct but related observations a slow steady decline of about 4 percent per decade in the total amount of Ozone in Earth's Particulates, alternatively referred to as particulate matter (PM or fine particles, are tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas Smog is a kind of Air pollution; the word "smog" is a Portmanteau of Smoke and Fog. Water pollution is the contamination of Water bodies such as Lakes Rivers Oceans and Groundwater caused by human activities Eutrophication is an increase in chemical Nutrients -- typically compounds containing Nitrogen or Phosphorus -- in an Ecosystem, and may occur For other uses of the term "hypoxia" see Hypoxia. Hypoxia or oxygen depletion is a phenomenon that occurs in aquatic environments Marine pollution is the harmful effect caused by the entry into the ocean of chemicals particles, or Plastic debris. Ship pollution is the pollution of air and Water by Shipping. Surface runoff is a term used to describe when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess Water, from Rain, Snowmelt, or other sources flows Thermal pollution is a Temperature change in natural bodies of water caused by human influence Distinguish from Wastwater (a lake in the Lake District in northwest England Waterborne diseases are caused by Pathogenic Microorganisms which are directly transmitted when contaminated Drinking water is consumed Water quality is the physical chemical and biological characteristics of Water in relationship to a set of standards Water stagnation occurs when Water stops flowing Stagnant water can be a major Environmental hazard. Soil contamination is caused by the presence of man-made chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment Bioremediation can be defined as any process that uses Microorganisms Fungi, green plants or their Enzymes to return the natural environment altered A herbicide is used to kill unwanted Plants Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired Crop relatively unharmed A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. Radioactive contamination is the uncontrolled distribution of radioactive material in a given environment Actinides in the environment refer to the sources environmental behaviour and effects of Actinides in the environment. Environmental Radioactivity is the study of radioactive materials in the Human environment. Fission products are the atomic fragments left after a large nucleus fissions. Fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a Nuclear explosion, so named because it "falls out" of the atmosphere into which it is spread during the explosion Plutonium in the environment is an article which is part of the Actinides in the environment series Radiation poisoning, also called " radiation sickness " or a " creeping dose " is a form of damage to organ tissue due to excessive exposure to This is a subpage of Environmental radioactivity. Radium Radium in quack medicine See the story of Eben Byers for details of one very nasty case Uranium in the environment, this page is about the Science of Uranium in the environment and in animals (including humans Introduced species|Weed Invasive species is a phrase with several definitions Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excess or obtrusive Light created mainly by Humans Among other effects Noise pollution (or environmental noise) is displeasing human- or machine-created sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life Radio spectrum pollution is the straying of waves in the radio and Electromagnetic spectrums outside their allocations that cause problems for some activities Visual pollution is the term given to unattractive or unnatural (human-made visual elements of a vista a Landscape, or any other thing that a person might not want to For other similarly-named agreements see Montreal Convention (disambiguation. Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes, opened for signature on The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the international Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective of reducing Greenhouse gases in an effort The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, often abbreviated as Air Pollution or CLRTAP, is intended to protect the human environment against Air This is a list of environmental organizations. See also Environmental organization Intergovernmental organizations International organizations The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for environmental protection The Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW is a worldwide system established by the World Meteorological Organization a United Nations agency to monitor trends in the Greenpeace, originally known as the Greenpeace Foundation, was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1972 The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS are standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency that apply for outdoor Air Environmental science is the study of interactions among physical chemical and biological components of the environment. See also Nature The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a terminology that is comprised of all living and If the surface area of the spill is also known, the total volume of the oil can be calculated. ^[11]

	Film Thickness		Quantity Spread
Appearance	in	mm	gal/sq mi	L/ha
Barely visible	0. 0000015	0. 0000380	25	0. 370
Silvery sheen	0. 0000030	0. 0000760	50	0. 730
First trace of color	0. 0000060	0. 0001500	100	1. 500
Bright bands of color	0. 0000120	0. 0003000	200	2. 900
Colors begin to dull	0. 0000400	0. 0010000	666	9. 700
Colors are much darker	0. 0000800	0. 0020000	1332	19. 500

Methods of cleaning

A sheen is usually dispersed (but not cleaned up) with detergents which makes oil settle to the bottom. Oils that are denser than water, such as Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), can be more difficult to clean as they make the seabed toxic. Polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCB s are a class of Organic compounds with 1 to 10 Chlorine atoms attached to Biphenyl which is a molecule composed

Methods for cleaning up include:

• Bioremediation: use of microorganisms [1] or biological agents [2] to break down or remove oil
• Controlled burning can effectively reduce the amount of oil in water, if done properly. Bioremediation can be defined as any process that uses Microorganisms Fungi, green plants or their Enzymes to return the natural environment altered A microorganism (also spelled micro organism or micro-organism and also called a microbe) is an Organism that is Microscopic (usually A biological agent is an Infectious disease or Toxin that can be used in Bioterrorism or Biological warfare. Combustion or burning is a complex sequence of Exothermic chemical reactions between a Fuel and an Oxidant accompanied by the production of ^[12] But it can only be done in low wind, and can cause air pollution. Wind is the flow of Air or other Gases that compose an Atmosphere (including but not limited to the Earth's) Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort ^[13]
• Dispersants act as detergents, clustering around oil globules and allowing them to be carried away in the water. A dispersant or Plasticizer is a liquid or gas added to a mixture to promote dispersion or to maintain dispersed particles in suspension A detergent (as a noun is a material intended to assist Cleaning. ^[14] This improves the surface aesthetically, and mobilises the oil. Smaller oil droplets, scattered by currents, may cause less harm and may degrade more easily. But the dispersed oil droplets infiltrate into deeper water and can lethally contaminate coral. Corals are Marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small Sea anemone –like Polyps typically in colonies of many Recent research indicates that some dispersants are toxic to corals. ^[15]
• Watch and wait: in some cases, nautural attentuation of oil may be most appropriate, due to the invasive nature of facilitated methods of remediation, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas.
• Dredging: for oils dispersed with detergents and other oils denser than water. Dredging is an Excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater in shallow seas or Fresh water areas with the purpose of
• Skimming: Requires calm waters
• Solidifying

Equipment used includes^[12]:

• Booms: large floating barriers that round up oil and lift the oil off the water
• Skimmers: skim the oil
• Sorbents: large sponges that absorb oil
• Chemical and biological agents: helps to break down the oil
• Vacuums: remove oil from beaches and water surface
• Shovels and other road equipments: typically used to clean up oil on beaches

Prevention

• Secondary containment - methods to prevent releases of oil or hydrocarbons into environment. An oil skimmer is a Machine that separates a Liquid or particles floating on another liquid An oil skimmer is a Machine that separates a Liquid or particles floating on another liquid A shovel is a Tool for lifting and moving loose material such as Coal, Gravel, Snow, Soil, or Sand and is an
• Oil Spill Prevention Containment and Countermeasures (SPCC) program by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
• Double hulling - build double hulls into vessels, which reduces the risk and severity of a spill in case of a collision or grounding. A double hull is a Ship hull design and construction method where the bottom and sides of the ship have two complete layers of watertight hull surface one outer layer Existing single-hull vessels can also be rebuilt to have a double hull.

See also

Erika (tanker) Low-temperature thermal desorption National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan Ohmsett (Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank)

Penguin sweater Pollution Prestige oil spill

References

Further reading

• The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2004
• Oil Spill Case Histories 1967-1991, NOAA/Hazardous Materials and Response Division, Seattle WA, 1992
• Nelson-Smith, Oil Pollution and Marine Ecology, Elek Scientific, London, 1972; Plenum, New York, 1973

External links

• www.black-tides.com An educational website comprising texts, animations, diagrams, quizzes and video clips on oil spills
• www.cedre.fr Centre of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution
• International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association - online publications
• oil spill and environmental clean-up news
• International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation
• Oil Spill Response and East Asia Response Limited, World's largest oil spill preparedness and response service provider
• oil spills and pollution
• Newsweek's Black Tides Timeline
• How oil spill absorbent products Work
• Industrial pollution information from the Coastal Ocean Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• IncidentNews.gov - a NOAA site cataloguing major spills, April 14, 2005
• A Google map of the major oil spills since 1960
• A Google Maps Image of a minor oil spill in Libya
• Oil spill on Mississippi River after Hurricane Katrina
• 2000 Oil spill in Brazil
• Japan tanker spills 1.4M gallons of oil
• Ashland oil spill in Floreffe, Pennsylvania in 1988 - considered one of the most severe inland oil spills in U.S. history
• Oil spill prevention program

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI is a private nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of all aspects of marine science and engineering and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA) is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

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