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An oil spill is the release of oil (generally, petroleum) into a natural environment, ordinarily the ocean. Oil means oil of any sort or even in any form & includes crude oil, oil refuse, petroleum-related products or even by-products, oil mixed within waste, oily ballast, & oily bilge water system.

Studies of the results of the Exxon Valdez oil spill have shown that the environmental damage from either oil spills is greater than was antecedently thought. These are currently thought that a impact in marine life may be good at less than of these section by the billion of pollution.

Oil can too exist as washed au courant beaches, requiring the big total of function to exist as filtered higher. Birds could also develop oil stuck in their feathers, which can render the two flightless unless washed. A oil can besides poison the two whenever it attempt to prean their feathers.

Heavily components of crude, like polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) appear to drive a virtually all damage; when it is comparatively unreactive it continue the a water supply great deal yearn than volatile components like toluene.

Oil spills potty potentially endanger occasionally of the worlds coinage.Oil spills is a causal agent of numerous marine life to die, disrupting my food chain, affecting the community & food cycle.This occurs as short term burden. Largest oil spills

  • Gulf War oil spill, Persian Gulf, January 23 1991
  • Ixtoc I oil well, S Gulf of Mexico, June 3, 1979
  • Nowruz oil field, Persian Gulf, February, 1983
  • Atlantic Empress and Aegean Captain collision, off Trinidad and Tobago, July 19, 1979
  • Castillo de Bellver, off Cape Town, South Africa, August 6, 1983
  • Amoco Cadiz (BP/Amoco, USA) - Brittany, France, March 16 1978
  • Torrey Canyon, South England, March 18 1967
  • Sea Star, Gulf of Oman, December 19, 1972
  • Urquiola, La Coruna, Spain, May 12, 1976
  • Hawaiian Patriot, N Pacific February 26, 1977
  • Othello, Tralhavet Bay, Sweden, March 20, 1970

    Other notable spills
    Orderly big to little: Braer - Shetland Islands, January 5 1993 Prestige - Galicia, Spain, November 13 2002 Aegean Sea, off North Spain, December 3, 1992 Sea Empress - Wales, February 15, 1996 World Glory, off South Africa, June 13, 1968 Corinthos Delaware River, Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, January 31 1975 Burmah Agate Galveston Bay, Texas, November 1 1979 Exxon Valdez (Exxon, USA) - Prince William Sound, Alaska, March 24 1989 Keo, off MA, November 5, 1969 Tank, Sewaren NJ, November 4, 1969 Ekofisk oil field, North Sea April 22, 1977 Erika - Bay of Biscay, December 12, 1999 Tasman Spirit, Karachi, Pakistan, July 28 2003 Selendang Ayu, Unalaska Island, Alaska, December 8 2004

  • Oil Spill Control Technologies
    University faculty member provides extensive information on spill response protocols and control tools, past spills, the U.S. Oil Pollution Control Act, spill costs, and university courses offered. Includes online simulations of hypothetical marine spills.

    Oil Spill Intelligence Report
    Weekly newsletter on oil spill cleanup, prevention and control.

    Responding to Oil Spills
    U.S. EPA Oil Spills program home page

    Incident News
    News, photos, and other information about U.S. government response actions to oil spills, hazardous chemical accidents, and other incidents.

    National Response Center
    U.S. interagency center is the sole federal point of contact for reporting oil and chemical spills in the U.S. and its territorial waters.

    Oil Spill Web
    Online equipment and service directory, conferences, RFQs, emergency contacts, news, science, debate, and oil spill response handbook.

    Oil Spill Intelligence Report: Major Oil Spills Worldwide
    Ranked list of oil spills involving more than 10 million gallons. Excerpted from International Oil Spill Statistics: 1997.

    National Pollution Funds Center
    NPFC is the fiduciary agent for the U.S. Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and the portion of Superfund accessible to the U.S. Coast Guard. Site has information on vessel certification, spill financial management, claims adjudication, and natural resources damage assessment.

    Spilled oil in the sea
    Short discussion of oil behavior and fate during an oil spill, with links to additional information.

    Save Our Seabirds Inc. - Oil Spill Response
    Information about rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife affected by oil spills. Also describes training offered by this organization.


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