subject: What are the effects of oil spill on the environment? [print this page] What are the effects of oil spill on the environment?
A Tragic oil spill incidence, such as the gulf oil spill is one of the worst contributors of our natural resources' destruction. Amongst the many reasons, this one results to extensive fatality among aquatic animals that will further more affect humans.
What is an oil spill? An oil spill is a release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. This term often refers to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal of waters. The types of oils being released are crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells, as well as spills of refined petroleum products like gasoline and diesel as well as their by products. It also includes heavier fuels used by large ships such as bunker fuel. The problem with oil spills is that it may take months or even years to clean them.
An oil spill can happen when people make mistakes or are careless and cause an oil tanker to leak of oil into the ocean. Breaking down of equipment is also one way that can cause oil spill. During war among countries, destruction that an opposing country can do to another is dumping oil into the enemy's oceans. Some of the oil spill may also be caused by terrorist trying to get the country's attention.
There are a lot of effects oil spills have on the environment. The aquatic animals are greatly affected by oil spill; since aquatic animals thrive in the waters so they are directly affected and most of them die. Seabirds also die when their feathers are covered by oil. Plants near the coastal water may also die if affected by oil spill.
As a solution to this problem, one effective way to contain oil spill is with the use of oil containment booms to prevent oil from spreading and will enable easy skimming of oil with the help of boats. The company that offers Quality Oil Booms that are used to contain & clean up oil spills is Enviro-USA. Visit them online at http://www.enviro-usa.com.
