Anna Maria Richards
A lot has been said about oil spills and how rapidly they are harming the environment and marine life. Oil spills are the leakages of liquids such as petroleum and their by-products happening in the environment. Oil spills may occur on the land, but they pose a colossal threat when occurring on the surface of any large water body such as lake, river, ocean, etc.
Oil spills are the result of human activities. You may as well term it as a form of pollution proving destructive for the environment. The leakage takes place on the account of the failure of oil drilling machinery caused as a result of carelessness, human error, deliberate act, or mistakes.
Sometimes, oil spills may as well happen as a result of any natural disaster. When an oil spill happens, all the oil carried in the tankers, barrages, refineries, pipelines, etc. release into the water body and the nearby inland area. Both these incidents cause water and land pollution.
Here are the common causes of oil spills throughout the world.
Natural causes:
A majority of oil leakages owe their occurring to human causes. But sometimes, some natural causes, too, contribute to the problem. The oil that seeps from beneath the ocean sometimes enters the marine environment. Such mixing of oil in the water takes a great toll on marine life.
Many environmental factors contribute to the seeping of oil from the bottom of the oceans. The constant change in climatic conditions and human activities are the two examples that give rise to oil leakage. Sometimes, the erosion of sedimentary rocks from the bottom of the ocean also leads to the spilling of oil.
Accidental causes:
A majority of oil spill events on earth have happened because of human mistakes and errors. Following are the reasons that contribute directly to the oil leakage:
Storage tanks:
Storing oil or oil products in the storage tanks that are taken directly on the ship and cargo develop leaks over time. These storage tanks may also leak during their handling when they are taken down for transfer operations or other uses.
Negligent transportation:
Negligent transportation of the oil tanks in the water bodies is one of the most common reasons for oil leakage in the water body. Many oil spills throughout are examples of negligent transportation.
Offshore drilling:
You must have read about a gigantic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused as a result of offshore drilling. This event has taken a mighty toll on marine life and the environment.
Maintenance activities:
All kinds of routine maintenance activities like cleaning the ships, their tanks, and other parts also cause the release of oil in the water body.
Intentional oil discharge:
When the waste from the factories, industries, and even households is not treated well, it gets mixed with the nearby water bodies. If such waste contains harmful liquid such as waste oil, fuel, or any hydrocarbon, it may be termed a small-scale oil spill.
Containing oil spills:
The increasing advancement in the field of science has made way for various methods and techniques to contain oil spills on different levels. Many start-ups have also introduced some easy and biodegradable materials to soak oil on land and in water to acknowledge and solve the problem of oil spills.
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Takeaway:
Containing oil spills has become very much possible. You can explore the available ideas, techniques, and technologies and find the choicest solution to your problem. Hunt down the best products now.
