Oil Spills

Published on 05 Apr 2025

Any uncontrolled discharge of fuels, gasoline, crude oil, or other oil by-products into the environment is referred to as an oil spill.

Causes of Oil Spills

• Marine Transportation Accidents: Oil spills can occur because of collisions, groundings, or accidents involving oil tankers, cargo ships, or offshore rigs.

• Example: Philippines oil spill

• Pipeline Leaks: Oil spills onto land or water can occur as a result of pipeline breaks, corrosion, or other damage.

• Example: Crack in the underwater pipeline that resulted in an oil spill a few kilometres off the Nagapattinam coast.

• Natural Disasters: Oil leaks may result from damage to oil infrastructure caused by hurricanes, earthquakes, or tsunamis.

• Example: Oil leak from nuclear power plant due to earthquake in Japan

• Industrial Discharges: Improper release of oil and petroleum derivative-containing industrial effluent into bodies of water.

Impacts of Oil Spill

• Impact on Marine Life: Many types of aquatic life are harmed by oil on ocean surfaces because it lowers the amount of dissolved oxygen and blocks enough sunlight from reaching the surface.

• Example: Altera Infrastructure spilled nearly 238 tonnes of diesel directly into the Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt nature conservation MPA which impacted aquatic lives.

• Hypothermia: Oil-coated birds and marine mammals may perish from hypothermia as a result of crude oil destroying the insulating and waterproofing qualities of feathers and fur.

• Example: Oiled birds have been discovered at multiple locations after the Perth Oil spill. 

• Water Quality Degradation: Pollution of water bodies, which can cause hazardous algal blooms, oxygen shortages, and disturbances to aquatic ecosystems. 

• Threat to Mangroves: Oil spills deteriorate the health of salt marshes and mangroves.

• Example: A study published in 2020 in the journal Remote Sensing found the Niger Delta’s mangrove cover decreased by 12% between 2007 and 2017 mostly due to oil spills

• Fishing Industry: Commercial fishing is often immediately suspended in the wake of major oil spills.

• Example: Oil spill from the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) into Kosasthalaiyar River and Ennore Creek affecting fishing industry.

Government initiatives and policy measures

• National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan: The apex plan for responding to oil spill disasters in Indian waters and is applicable to shipping, ports, and oil industries.

• Ship Samudra Prahari: It is a specialized pollution control vessel of Indian Coast Guard with advanced pollution control gear, including containment tools like Hi-Sprint Booms and river booms to contain oil spills.

International initiatives

• International Maritime Organization (IMO): It is established for Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response, and Co-operation (OPRC) to strengthen global preparedness and response to oil spills.

• Oil Spill Response Limited: The largest international industry-funded oil spill response organisation which exists to respond to oil spills wherever in the world they may occur.

• IOGP-GIRG: It is a collaborative effort comprising significant oil and gas sector stakeholders. It focuses on sharing best practices internationally and enhancing capacities for responding to oil spills.

Way Forward

• Bioremediation: Bacteria such as Paraperlucidibaca, Cycloclasticus, etc. can be used to clean up oil spills in the ocean through bioremediation.

• Dispersing agents: Substances that include surfactants, or ingredients that break down liquids into tiny droplets, like oil. They accelerate its natural dispersion into the ocean.

• Monitoring and Assessment: Monitoring the impacted area on a regular basis can assess the amount of the spill, the environmental damage, and the progress of clean-up activities.

• Legal and Regulatory Response: Using legal means to enforce regulations, conduct investigations, and hold responsible parties accountable for the spill.

Case study

• IIT Guwahati develops fabric to tackle oil spills in water bodies: The silica nanoparticles-coated cotton fabric has been developed using rice husk, an agricultural waste, as the primary source material helps to separate oil from water.

Tags:
Environment

Keywords:
Oil spills Marine biodiversity Water pollution Pollution

Syllabus:
General Studies Paper 3

Topics:
Environment and Climate Change