Oil spill clean up

Impact of Oil Spillage on Aquatic Life

Oil spillage has detrimental impacts on aquatic life, resulting in the mortality of sea life and water waste. When oil leaks into water, it destroys all sea life in that region when oil forms a clot that blocks oxygen from entering the surface of the water body making it impossible for aquatic organisms to breathe. Chemical leaks occur mainly when crude oil is deliberately or unintentionally discharged to the water body by a storage vessel, a submersible oil tanker, a refinery, or an offshore oil drilling platform. Officers are working to clear up the oil leak that may have been caused by a tanker or a refinery. From the photo, it is evident that they are trying to use different methods to clean the oil spill. Primarily, the method employed in the cleanup process should be determined by the workers or officers after analyzing the situation to enable them to identify the best mechanism possible. In the picture, they are using the long buoyant booms that are inflatable tides that isolate and surround the oil slick. Suspended from the surface, the skimmer boom sucks the oil into tanks offshore. The process is suitable for the condition because there are no high winds and the spill happened near the shore.

Methods of Oil Spill Clean-up

Primarily, oil spill clean-up should take place immediately to minimize the pollution caused by the leakage. Furthermore, it is evident that oil spills change the color of the water making is unusable for domestic purpose. Other mechanisms that can be used in clean up process include the use of dispersant that breaks down the oil, adding biological agents to the oil spill, and letting the oil to break naturally. The biological control mechanism is effective as they break the oil down into harmless substances such as carbon dioxide and fatty acids. Importantly, the process can be facilitated by the use fertilizing nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen that encourages the growth of bacteria and micro-organisms.

Safety Measures during Oil Spill Clean-up

When taking part in the cleaning process, the officers should wear protective clothes such as gloves. The components of the oil are harmful to the health of human beings and should avoid direct contact with the substance. Similarly, the surface is slippery, and they should wear life jackets to prevent drowning in case of an accident. Coming into direct contact with the oil can be devastating to the officer. Moreover, leaving the oil spill to break naturally can be harmful to the surrounding as it can be absorbed by marine animals killing them or transferring the contents to people through fishing. Oil clean up is an important task, and it should be performed to prevent pollution.