What Effects Do Oil Spills Have on the Environment?

Oil spills have profound and immediate effects on the environment. Plus, the damage slicks cause can be long-lasting.

In April 2010, an oil leak occurred from an underwater BP pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. Five thousand barrels of oil (200,000 gallons) spilled into the ocean each day from a leak that the company said was notoriously difficult to plug quickly. At the time of press, remediation efforts were underway, but some experts anticipate that this spill has the potential to eclipse the Exxon Valdez oil disaster of 1989.

Oil spills certainly attract public attention while under the media spotlight. Environmental experts come out of the woodwork and volunteers line up to help do whatever they can to protect the wildlife impacted by the oil. However, what are the ramifications of an oil spill, including what occurs once the media attention has dissipated?

What Is Oil?

Oil is a natural substance formed over millions of years. It is thought to be created by plankton, decaying matter, sand and rock under extreme pressure.

Although crude oil is of natural origin, the oil that is transported and pumped today may contain additives to help it perform better. Benzene, for example, is an important industrial solvent and precursor in the production of drugs, plastics, synthetic rubber, and dyes, and can sometimes be found in oil and as an additive to gasoline.

Oil is used to make gasoline, serve as fuel, as a basis for plastic products, and many other purposes.

Immediate Effects of an Oil Spill

Oil enters the marine environment daily through run off from everyday living. Generally, the planet can sustain itself in this type of situation. It's when a large amount of oil is introduced to an area in a short period of time that serious ramifications can occur.

When a spill or leak occurs, most of the volatile compounds of oil evaporate quickly. However, the oil remains on the surface of the water, mixes with the water and becomes a different consistency. It can be a very sticky composition that some refer to as a "mousse." The slick can quickly spread through water currents and wind.

Many fish are attracted to the oil slick because of its sweet smell and its resemblance to food. Other marine life simply may not know how to avoid the oil. There are a number of effects that can occur depending on the animal:

• Oil can break down insulating fur or feathers in seals and marine birds, resulting in hypothermia.

• Marine life that breathe through gills can suffocate.

• Oil can coat the body, making mobility difficult and resulting in inability to forage for food or escape predators.

• It may foul breeding grounds or result in mutation or death of young.

• Oil can taint algae and other marine food sources, resulting in elimination of certain species of plants and animals.

Longer Effects of an Oil Spill

After the clean-up efforts have ceased and the attention on the spill has slowed, oil can still have an impact on the environment. Eventually the oil can sink into the sea bed or remain under the water. This can impact burrowing animals, such as crabs or bottom feeders. Other marine life and birds may eat these animals and then become contaminated. The cycle of poisoning can continue for many years.

More Than Marine Life Affected

It's not just the animals that live in and around the water that are impacted by an oil spill. It can have profound effects on humans, too.

•Cost: People often pay the financial price for an oil spill. Costs of everything from plastic products to gasoline may rise as oil companies attempt to recuperate the lost money from the oil spill.

• Fishing: Individuals who make their living from the water could lose significant portions of their income. Fishing may be banned in and around the oil spill area for an extended period.

• Tourism: Many coastal towns and cities make their living from the tourists who frequent the seaside. An oil spill close to the shore can spoil fishing, boating and swimming in these areas.

• Contamination: Individuals who live by a spill may come in contact with the same toxins as the marine life. Oil may infiltrate water systems or end up in the soil. Some oil additives can be carcinogenic. Also, inadvertently eating contaminated seafood can lead to poisoning.

How Oil Spills Are Remediated

While no two oil spills are the same, there are some common methods of clean-up.

• If there is no chance for coastal contamination, some oil is left to break down by natural means and be dispersed by the currents and wind.

• Skimmer nets are used to collect oil from the water's surface. Brooms and other devices may be used to push oil into a centralized location for collection.

• Dispersants may be used to break down oil and have it biodegrade more quickly. Dispersants act by reducing the surface tension that stops oil and water from mixing. However, careful consideration must be given to dispersants and weigh the factors of how the oil will contaminate underwater sea life.

• Biological agents are introduced. These agents feed on components of the oil and break it down into harmless substances such as fatty acids and carbon dioxide.

• Animal life impacted by the spill may be collected, cleaned and tested for contamination.

Oil spills have the potential to be an environmental disaster if not quickly assessed and handled by professionals.