Remedy of Oil Spills

Effects/Impacts of Oil Spills on Marine and Coastal Wildlife
                                                                                                   
The impacts of oil pollution on marine ecosystem can be categorized into long term and short term effects. Suffocation caused by oil spills and oil poisoning are among the first group. Because oil floats on top of water, less light penetrates into the water, limiting the photosynthesis of marine plants and phytoplankton. Oil spills reduce oxygen absorption of the water, causing oxygen dissolution under oil spills to be even less than the deep sea levels. Long term effects of low concentration pollutions will reveal themselves in a longer duration. Thin oil sheens can dissolve fat soluble poisons such as pesticides and increase their concentration several times higher than usual and more than tolerable for most of the living creatures.

Suspended oil can gain weight by bonding with minerals and settle on the sea floor and harm the ecosystem there. Also causes sediments adherence to the sea floor, destabilizing plants. Usually it has been observed that sediments begin to move after oil settles on the sea floor.

An oil effect on coastal vegetation is also important. Algae and other local plants have been reported to be eradicated. Animals that come in touch with high concentrations of oil die of oil poisoning. Worms, microorganisms and young sea creatures are more sensitive.

Humans and other animals living near the sea are also threatened. Among these compounds, cyclic (aromatic) hydrocarbons   with   low boiling point are more dangerous, such as benzene, toluene and xylene. Naphthalene and Phenanthrene are more poisonous for fishes than the mentioned compounds. Aromatic compounds are more soluble in water than saturated hydrocarbons; therefore creatures may become poisoned without direct contact with the oil by the polluted water. Fortunately these compounds are volatile; their harmful effects will...