Oils spills are defined as the release1 of any type of oil that contaminates numerous environments including, land, air and water but primarily affect the ocean. Oil spills are caused by human error, natural disasters, intentional actions such as war and terrorism and equipment breaking. Over 100 million gallons of oil is spilled every year causing destruction to animals, habitats and humans. The majority of oil spills take place in bays, rivers, oceans, wetlands and other bodies of water. When oil is transported via ships and tankers2, oil spills are most likely occur because the oil is carried through tanks, flowlines and underwater pipelines which frequently leads to accidents.
Oil, also known as petroleum or crude is a dense substance composed of hydrocarbon molecules3. The thickness of the oil depends on the combination of the hydrogen and carbon atoms and contains traces of nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen. The oil used today was formed millions of years ago from remains of plants and dead marine organisms that were buried under several layers of sediment. When these substances were under heat and pressure they convert into oil. Oil is more modernly known as a fossil fuels which are all composed of once living organisms4. Geologists locate reservoirs that contain oil and inform the extractors where the wells are and can drill oil from them. The oil is transported by train, ship, pipeline and truck which is later transformed into petroleum products such as gasoline, asphalt, diesel, fuel and jet fuel5. The oil is used to transport vehicles and for production of artificial products for example the fabrication of plastic6, medicines and other materialistic products that we use everyday. Oil does benefit us, humans and creates a superfluous of jobs including drilling and transporting oil and generates into day to day products but has its disadvantages when it is spilled. When oil spills, it becomes smooth and spreads on the surface of the water, forming a slick. These slicks immediately affect the animals in these environments and have long-term effects for our society. The most destructive oil spills are the Exxon Valdez spill, BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill and the Amoco Cadiz spill. More than 80,000 birds were killed because of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and around $691 million7 of the economy has been lost due to this spill. The transportation of oil is important for the economy but frequently leads to oil spills that are not worth killing countless lives of animals and destroying the Earth. There needs to be further actions that are taken to help the damage of the environment, the habitats and lives of animals after oil spills.
Oil spills are measured ‘worst’ from the number of barrels that are spilled. On March 24, 1989, 11 million gallons of crude oil discharged into the Prince William Sound after a collision to the ship’s hull8. This is primarily known as the Exxon Valdez Oil spill. This was one of the world’s most devastating oil spills prior to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon spill and had 1,300 meters of coastline covered! in oil. The spill was investigated and was later learned that the collision only happened because the captain, Joseph Hazelwood had been drinking. Exxon accepted their accountability and paid $2 billion for cleanup and $1.6 billion for wildlife. It was estimated that 270,000-580,0009 seabirds were killed; 3,000 otters were killed; 300 seals killed; 250 bald eagles dead; 22 killer whales killed and billions of salmon eggs destroyed causing the fish industry in this area to collapse and fishermen to go bankrupt. The way to limit from happening again is to not have people captain if they are under the influence. On the morning of March 16, 1978, the tanker Amoco Cadiz faced technical difficulties during a storm and crashed off the coast of the English Channel. The tanker split an estimated amount of 29 million gallons of crude and spread 130 km away from the initial spill. The cleaning process took months and to this day is still not completely cleaned. It was believed that ⅓ of the oil made it too shore leaving the rest to have evaporated or be lost in sea. Lots of fish are killed, birds are killed sea urchins are killed, clams are killed and mollusks10 are killed. Some of the oil contaminated the destroyed the agricultural crops which affected what people could eat. The way to limit this from happening is to have stronger technology that can withstand strong weather conditions.
On April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico spilling around 205 million gallons of crude oil and unfortunately took the lives of 11 workers. Methane gas escaped the well and traveled to the surface causing an explosion and a fire that lasted days. Over the course of a few months the oil spreaded and formed a slick 5,000 square miles11 long. On July 15, 2010 the well was successfully capped which eliminated releases of oil. Approximately 6,000 sea turtles were harmed; over 80,000 birds were harmed; 29,000 marine animals including dolphins, whales were harmed, more than 1,000 miles12 of coastline destroyed and an unknown amount of zooplankton was harmed. This costed the fishing industry in the Gulf $115 to $172 million. Although people work hard to limit the amount of oil in the ocean after oil spills, there are still millions of gallons of oil floating around that is affecting the environment.
The wildlife is immediately impacted from the contact of the oil particles, from consuming the poisonous water due to the oil or inhale dispersants13 when response teams help to clean oil off of the animals. When marine animals ingest infected food, their ability to reproduce is in danger, their organs are susceptible to damage and they are likely to receive ulcers, internal bleeding and hemorrhages. If the animals lay eggs, their eggs are in danger of absorption of oil as well. Animals with feathers and fur, for example birds and sea otters, risk death when oil comes contact with their coating! because the oil prevents circulation and movement of their feathers and fur which leads them to not be able to be insulated and risk! hypothermia. When birds are covered in oil they also lose their buoyancy14 and can not stay afloat. When there is oil in the water, dolphins and whales inhale the water when they swim up to the surface to breathe air. Sea turtles suffer and suffocate when they try to breathe and as juveniles may become trapped in the oil after they hatch. Sea turtles can get poisoned by absorption from the skin or by ingesting the contaminated food and there can be serious damage to their eyes and irritation to their lungs and airways. Oil spills do not only suddenly influence the animals but over time, they have to relocate to find more food as the sources are limited. The food cycle switches because the feeders consume oil making the consumers sick and then us humans can not fish the animals and creates a vicious cycle that affects everyone.
Not only are the animals impacted by oil spills but their habitats and homes are greatly affected. Coral reefs are home to various ecosystems and are very sensitive especially to oil spills. If the oil reaches the coast and beaches, it can get on the rocks which might prohibit people from going to those locations, but also deep into the sediments and can stay there for years. Some vegetation15 may die which will affect the animals eating the plants.
The particles also affect us humans and the rescue teams when trying to help clean the water and help the animals that are also suffering. Just like the sea turtles, if we come in contact with the oil or inhale particles of oil, our skin burns and we get sick. Humans should not eat seafood that may have parts of oil in them or else we will get sick as well. The agriculture suffers in places where oil slicks move close to where crops are typically growing. This affects the farmers jobs and the wealth of the economy. The fishing industry loses a ton of money everytime there is an oil spill because many animals died and many animals are dangerous to be consumed because they can be contaminated with oil. The shipped goods industry and the fuel industry are important but are typically the the ships that have oil spills. The rescue teams use detergents that have properties that are able break oil. 16
In conclusion, oil spills are the release of oil into a body of water that affects different habitats. They lead problems for animals, humans and also impact the Earth. It is unfortunate that all of these lives are at stake just for transportation and other commercialization purposes. The Exxon Valdez spill, the Amoco Cadiz and BP’s Deepwater Horizon Spill were some of the largest spills with big impacts on the animal life. To help this problem, people should visit their local rescue store to find out more information and spread the word.
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