1. Oil Spills

2. Background Information
Each year, millions of gallons of oil are released into the environment, either accidentally or intentionally.
Tanker accidents or “blowouts”
Spills at offshore drilling rigs
Run-off and dumping waste oil from cities and industries.

3. In 1979, a huge blowout occurred at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico.
Over 184 million gallons of oil leaked into the environment.
Took 8 months to cap the well
As horrendous as that seems, releases from offshore wells during normal operations and during transportation of the oil add much more oil to the environment than such occasional accidents.

4. Accidents happen…
Oil tanker accidents account for about 10 to 15 percent of the annual input of oil into the world’s oceans
Leaks at wells
Purging of tanks
Seepage from natural sources

5. Oil Spills
Castillow de Bellver (1983) caught fire and relased 78.5 million gallons of ocean off the coast of Capetown, South Africa
Exxon Valdez (1989) hit a reef and released about 11 million gallons of oil into the Prince William Sound of Alaska. The spill was the largest in U.S. history. Capt. Joe Hazelwood, who later admitted to having had several alcoholic drinks that day, (From Huntington, Long Island). In jail NOW!
More than 33,000 seabirds, 1,000 sea otters, 100 bald eagles killed.

6. Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Cause
Wellhead blowout
April 20, 2010
Killed 11 workers
205.8 million gallons
Flowed for 3 months
BP was responsible for the spill
Largest marine oil spill in history
In the Gulf Region
Affected Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi beaches

7. How much damage is done?
The type and amount of damage from an oil spill depend on a number of factors:
Type of oil (crude oil most toxic due to benzene and toluene)
Weather conditions
Types of organisms in the area
Season
Oils spill cleanup is difficult and EXPENSIVE. It is very difficult to
save animals who have ingested
the hydrocarbons into their digestive tracts, especially aquatic birds who preen to insulate themselves.

8. What affects do Oil Spills have on Animals?
Seabirds
Strongly affected
Ways to die from Oil Spill
Feathers are covered with oil
Hard to fly and escape predators
Cleaning themselves
Blinding them
Most die unless humans intervene

9. Continued Killer Whales Sea Otters
Fur gets covered in oil which disrupts air bubbles
Air bubbles for warmth
Air bubbles to float
Ways to die from Oil Spills
Eat fish that swam in oil
Plug the blowhole with oil and drown
Becoming endangered
Die from cold waters
Placed in captivity for support

10. On March 24, 1989, an oil tanker struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, releasing more than 200 million liters (11 million) of oil.
The map outlines the oil-spill front as it expanded from 1 to 8 days after the spill; it was compiled from aerial observations by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Exxon, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
Bottom sediments studied by the USGS more than 7 weeks after the spill contained no clear evidence of oil pollution; possible traces of contamination were found near the south end of the Sound, but the presence of oil could not be confirmed.
Much of the oil was carried onshore by surface currents and deposited along the beaches. Long-term monitoring is needed to assess the effect of the spill on the marine environment.

11. So how do we clean it up? Containment and Removal
Application of Dispersants
Bioremediation
Enzymes released by the microbe break the contaminant down into digestible pieces.
The contaminant is consumed as food by the cell.
Harmless biological wastes are all that remain of the contaminant.

12. Methods Of Cleaning
Booms
High or low pressure hoses to spray oil off beaches
Sorbents
Large sponges that collect oil
Booms
Collects oil off the water
Controlled Burning
Reduces amount of oil
Skimmers
Boats that removes the oil
Controlled Burning

13. Clean-up Methods
Dispersants: act like soap to break up large oil slicks into smaller more manageable particles.
Booms: long floating tubes that are put on the water surface to contain an oil spill (usually to protect the shoreline.)
Skimming: specially designed boats “scrape” the oil off of the surface.
Absorbants: materials that can help “suck-up” the oil to make it easier to recover.

14. Dispersants Dispersants are chemical solvents or surfactants.
They don't eliminate oil, they make it less obvious by breaking it into small pieces which spread throughout the ocean.
The dispersant Corexit is being used by BP and has been proven to be toxic to microorganisms and fish eggs.

15. Booms Help contain the oil slicks on the ocean surface

16. Booms in Action

17. How can I help?

18. Human Hair & Sheep’s Wool
Wool adsorbs oil meaning the oil sticks to the hair but does not soak into it.
There are over 370,000 hair salons in the US and each cut about one pound of hair a day.

19. Recycled Cellulose Material
Made of recycled natural plant material.
It begins to absorb the moment it touches oil.
This material is hydrophobic so it repels water while absorbing only oil.

20. Oil Absorbing Polymer
Envirobond 403 is a polymer specifically formulated to bond to crude oil.
Polymers are made up of many many molecules all strung together to form really long chains
When the polymer comes in contact with a liquid hydrocarbon (oil) the free hydrocarbons bond to the polymer and form a gel.
The hydrophobic properties of the polymer prevent it from absorbing water.

21. Reguations
In the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez incident, Congress passed the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which required the Coast Guard to strengthen its regulations on oil tank vessels and oil tank owners and operators. Today, tank hulls provide better protection against spills resulting from a similar accident, and communications between vessel captains and vessel traffic centers have improved to make for safer sailing.

22. Ways of Preventing Oil Spills
Navigation
Coast Guard must know where the tankers can drive
Inspect equipment more
Double Hulling
2 layers of watertight hull surface
Prevent/reduces oil spills
Careful as possible when transporting
Double Hull