Environmental science project

The Concerned

Civilian

Miami, Florida

December 8, 2015

$1.25

✫Special Edition: Oil spills✫

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Oil Spills Author: Quinn Glassey

How much oil do we use?

Nearly all crude oil imported into the United States is directly refined into petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel. Because of this, crude oil is directly consumed less frequently than refined oils. Liquids produced from natural gas processing are also consumed as petroleum products. Renewable biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, can be used as a substitute for or an additive to refined petroleum products.

An ocean oil rig

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mage credit: http://world-fuel.me/HTML/button_09_selected_html/button_09_selected.htm

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2014, the United States

consumed a total of 6.97 billion barrels of petroleum products, an average of about 19.11 million barrels per day. The entire World uses approximately 85 million barrels a day; that is

about 3,570,000,000 gallons of oil.

Image credit: http://misfitsarchitecture.com/tag/oil-rigs/

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What is an oil spill?

An oil spill is a form of pollution. Due to human activity, liquid petroleum hydrocarbon is released into the environment. The term is usually applied to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land.

Effects of oil spills on marine life

Ingestion: By ingesting oil or byproducts of oil spills, gastrointestinal irritation problems can arise in marine life. These include ulcers, bleeding, diarrhea, and digestive complications. These issues often lead to the inability of the animals to digest and absorb foods, obviously leading to lack of nutrients and starvation. Ingestion can occur at multiple levels of the food chain. Herbivores, such as sea turtles, end up consuming vegetation that has been coated with oil particles. Carnivores, such as shorebirds that feed on clams, mussels, or worms consume organisms that have been exposed to oil sediments washed onto the shoreline. Even if they do not directly ingest oil, these carnivorous animals consume herbivores that have eaten chemical laden oil. Specifically, Baleen whales have a system of filtering teeth; thick oil can clog their filter system, which often leads to starvation and death. Oil spills cause immediate marine life illness and deaths. However, in the larger scale, oil spills affect the entire maritime food chain by killing off top predators and their prey. Absorption: Oil and dispersants seeps into marine organisms’ skin. This can cause liver and kidney damage, which leads to anemia, suppressed immune system, induce reproductive failure, blindness, and possibly death. Exposure to oil may irritate, burn, or cause infections to the skin of some species. Pregnant animals that absorb these chemicals can have seriously damaged and disabled offspring. Fish and sea turtle embryos may grow more slowly than normal, leading to lower hatching rates and developmental impairments. Inhalation: Effects from inhalation are most common in marine species that require air (such as dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, whales, and otters). The marine mammals breathe in vaporized chemicals released by oil that floats on the ocean surface. The possible consequences of oil inhalation include: respiratory inflammation, pneumonia, irritation, suffocation, and emphysema.

Image credit: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/caught_in_the_oil.html

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Top 3 largest oil spills in history 1. Arabian Gulf/Kuwait When: Jan. 19, 1991 Where: Persian Gulf, Kuwait
 Amount: 380-520 million gallons The Gulf War oil spill was not an accident; the oil was spilled deliberately during wartime. During the Gulf War, Iraqi forces attempted to prevent American soldiers from landing and cutting American oil supplies by opening valves at an offshore oil terminal and dumping oil from tankers. The oil resulted in a 4-inch thick oil slick that spread across 4,000 square miles in the Persian Gulf. 2. Gulf oil spill
 When: April 22, 2010 Where: Gulf of Mexico
 Amount: An estimated 206 million gallons The Gulf oil spill is officially the largest accidental spill in world history. It began when an oil well a mile below the surface of the Gulf blew out, causing an explosion on BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig that killed 11 people. BP made several unsuccessful attempts to plug the well, but oil flowed — possibly at a rate as high as 2.5 million gallons a day — until the well was capped on July 15, 2010. Oil gushed from the broken well for more than 85 days, oiled 572 miles of Gulf shoreline, and killed hundreds of birds and marine life. The long-term effects of the oil and the 1.82 million gallons of dispersant used on this fragile ecosystem remain unknown, but experts say they could devastate the Gulf coast for years to come. 3. Ixtoc 1 Oil Spill When: June 3, 1979 Where: Bay of Campeche off Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico
 Amount: 140 million gallons This spill was caused by an offshore oil well. Pemex, a state-owned Mexican petroleum company was drilling an oil well when a blowout occurred. The oil caught on fire and the drilling rig collapsed; thus, oil began gushing out of the well into the Gulf of Mexico. Before workers were finally able to cap the well, oil poured out at a rate of 10,000 to 30,000 barrels a day for almost an entire year.

Image credit: http://visual.ly/worst-oil-spills-history

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How are oil spills cleaned up?

Oil spills are generally cleaned up by one, or multiple, different methods. These methods include:

1. Dispersants: Chemical dispersants are used to speed up the biodegradation process; to do this, dispersants break down the oil into little droplets, which makes it easier for the oil and water to mix. The oil is then absorbed into the aquatic system. This process can not be uses for all oil spills, depending on the location. Because the chemicals and drops of oil can be more easily absorbed, dispersants should not be used where it can affect marine organisms.

2. Booms: These are floating oil barriers, often made of plastic or metal, that isolates the oil and slows the spreading process. On the surface, skimmers suck or scoop the oil into containment tanks on the shore or on nearby boats. Booms are often hard to use because they cannot be used under conditions of high winds and inclement weather.

Example of an oil boom

3. Naturally: When all other possibilities will pollute or harm the environment, it is often left to naturally clean itself. The sun, wind, currents and waves can disperse and evaporate most oils.

4. Biodegradation: This method happens when bacteria and other micro-organisms break down the oil into harmless substances, such as fatty acids and carbon dioxide. To speed up the process, clean-up crews can add fertilizing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, which encourage the growth of micro- organisms.

5. Burning: Usually in remote areas it is possible to burn off spilled oil. Burning can eliminate large volumes of oil quickly and effectively. On the other hand, this process burns off plant life, leaves water residue,

and creates smog. All of which make this method problematic and raises the question of whether the consequences are worth it. In some cases, the contained area has to be flooded in order to save the vegetation below by raising the burning oil. Because burning oil may spread rapidly in water, special fire-resistant booms must be used to contain the burning.

Example of oil burning

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Stopping oil spills?

How can we prevent oil spills? What is being done to stop these hazardous marine spills?

Before we can make strides to prevent or implement acts to stop oil spills, it is first necessary to recognize how oil spills happen. They can be caused by:

• People making mistakes or reckless endangerment. • Equipment malfunction. • Natural disasters such as hurricanes. • Intentional acts by terrorist groups, waged wars on

countries, vandalism, or illegal dumpers.

After the Exxon Valdez spill on March 24, 1989, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) was implemented. This spill dumped over 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska. While not on the list of the largest oil spills, the event was shocking and called for action.

OPA addresses issues dealing with the prevention, response, and fiscal responsibilities regarding marine oil pollution in the United States; it simplified and reinforced the ability to prevent and respond to disastrous oil spills. Due to an implemented oil tax, a trust fund is financed and is available to clean up spills when the responsible party is incapable or unwilling to do so. The OPA requires oil storage facilities and vessels to submit to the Federal government plans detailing how they will respond to large releases.

Although oil spills are still prevalent and wreak havoc on marine environments, the act has helped prevent spills and assisted in the Gulf spill in 2010.

Prevention on actual oil rigging sites is an obvious and necessary way to assist in avoiding spills. These steps include:

• Planning facilities that are more reliable, safe and efficient. • Having maintenance and inspection checks on a regular basis. • Using leak detection devices. • Scheduling regular inspections. • Choosing means of transportation that limit the risk of accidents.

It is also necessary to recognize that every person can make a difference with their daily choices and actions. Implementing a ‘greener’ lifestyle can assist in oil spill prevention. Here’s what we can do:

• Reduce use of fossil fuels: Cut energy consumption easily by choosing public transportation and turning off electricity. Everybody can reduce their energy expenditures by choosing energy efficient heating and cooling devices, energy efficient lighting, and driving a fuel efficient vehicle.

• Installing solar, wind, or geothermal to generate green energy. These sources require less to no amounts of oil.

• Politically support clean energy instead of oil by joining an organization that fights for renewable energy to reduce our dependency on oil. These include: Sierra Club, Center for American Progress, and 350.org. Also, vote for those who believe in energy conservation.

Image from the Exxon Valdez oil spill

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Personal statement regarding oil spills We as a human race have yet again deemed the earth as ‘ours’. Our selfishness has caused and will continue to cause marine life pollution, suffering, and destruction. It seems that after every major oil spill, people suddenly become aware of the obvious oil issue our earth faces. However, after time passes and new current events become relevant, we seem to forget about the entire subject. People do not seem to be in a rush to figure out energy alternatives to oil. Humanity focuses more on societal issues such as religion, politics, and wealth rather than our direct impacts on innocent organisms. Thanks to the marketing from companies like Dawn, oil spills’ impacts on sea life has been constantly prevalent in consumers lives. By purchasing Dawn, we consumers can take an easy small step towards helping marine life affected by our reckless actions. However, we need to do more than just buy dish soap. Each human on this earth needs to take actions talked about above (such as: installing green energy, using ‘green’ cars or driving less, exercising our political voice, and cutting down fossil fuels). Unfortunately, people tend to only focus on the ‘cute’ or ‘sad’ images of oil spills; it is necessary to recognize that not just adorable otters, ducklings, and dolphins are affected by these spills. Plankton suffocate and die;

chemicals are absorbed into fishes’ skins, causing them to burn alive; shrimp get trapped in thick oil and can not swim out of it or access food. These issues are bigger than just what we see on the surface. Entire ecosystems are disrupted; whole food chains can be unsettled with the deaths of these animals. Oil spills need to stop. New sources of fuel and energy need

to be innovated and current ones need to be used more frequently. As a ‘concerned civilian’, I am worried about our impacts on marine environments due to our excessive use of oil. Humans need to start taking responsibility for their actions and in return give back to the earth we share with so many organisms.

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Works cited:

http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/oilspill/crudeoil.html

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084335_how-much-oil-does-america-use-check-out-this-infographic

http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_sum_snd_d_nus_mbbl_m_cur.htm

http://slipr.com/2009/10/02/how-much-oil-does-the-world-use-in-a-day/

http://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/maritime-environmental-emergencies/national-plan/general-

information/oiled-wildlife/marine-life/index.asp

http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/12/geography-in-the-news-oil-spills/

http://www.livescience.com/6363-top-10-worst-oil-spills.html

http://www.cnbc.com/2010/06/09/17-Ways-To-Clean-Up-The-Gulf-Oil-Spill.html

http://www.uscg.mil/npfc/About_NPFC/opa.asp

Images cited:

Image 1: http://grace.allpurposeguru.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Earth-from-space-NASA.jpg

Image 2: http://mpora.com/articles/environmentally-friendly-surfer - Gz51zIopJT2AkAlG.97

Image 3: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jun/30/biologists-find-oil-spill-deadzones

Image 4: http://www.oobject.com/category/oil-spill-cleanup-technologies/

Image 5: http://www.cepsorbents.com/booms

Image 6: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/10/gulf-oil-spill/bourne-text

Image 7: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2011/oct/12/new-zealand-oil-spill-in-pictures

Image 8:

https://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.php?url=collection/cub_/lessons/cub_enveng/cub_enveng_lesson

01.xml

Image 9: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/dawn-dishwashing-liquid-being-

used-to-clean-animals

Image 10:http://www.kidzworld.com/article/24170-oil-spills-sad-but-true

Image 11: https://skh-careers-oilandgas.wikispaces.com/Oil+Spill+Cleanup