University of Petra

College of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering
Hydrology

Oil spill impact on marine environment

Students Name:
Mohammed Alshadfan 201610940

Hamza Assad 201620173

Mohammed Ayman 201620245

Instructor Name:
Dr. NIDAL HUSSAIN

Date of Submission: 30/4/2020

1
Table of Contents
1. Abstract: ...............................................................................................................................................3
2. Introduction .........................................................................................................................................3
3.oil spills: ................................................................................................................................................5
4.mechanism of oil spills damage : ..........................................................................................................5
5.effect of oil spillt on marin life : ............................................................................................................8
6.the most affected creature : .................................................................................................................8
6.1. birds : ............................................................................................................................................8
6.2.marin mammals : ...........................................................................................................................9
6.3.fish :..............................................................................................................................................10
7. wildlife habitat and breeding grounds: .............................................................................................10
8. corals: .................................................................................................................................................11
9.discussion: ...........................................................................................................................................12
10.recommendations:............................................................................................................................12
11.conclusion: ........................................................................................................................................12

List of figures:
Figure 1 Biological availabiti ............................................................................... 6
Figure 2 Quantity of oil spilt per year .................................................................. 7
Figure 3 oill effect on birds .................................................................................. 9
Figure 4 oil effect on marin mammals ................................................................ 9
Figure 6 oil effect on fish ................................................................................... 10
Figure 7 oil effect on corals ............................................................................... 11

2
 Abstract
Many human activities such as industry and discoveries contributed to the progress of
mankind , the most important which is the discovery the oil , but it has caused a lot of
negative ethane , which is one of the serious disasters , oil leakage in the water
environment and its effects on the aquatic life especially the upper water section.

Introduction
Water is the basis for the beginning of life on the planet and the basis for its existence
and continuity, and it is one of the most important necessities of life, so there is no life
without water, and that is why God created the earth since its creation in the water, and
life has remained for the past millions of years in the water, and up to the present time,
much of Living organisms live in it, unlike earthly life on land and land, where it does not
exceed 400 million years old. Water is defined as one of the natural renewable
resources on this planet, and it is one of the basic elements on the earth, and one of the
most important things that makes it unique from others as a chemical compound is its
stability, since the amount of water on Earth at the present time is the same amount of
water that has been since God’s creation Land, where water occupies 70.9% of the
surface area of the Earth. The total volume of water is estimated at approximately 1360
billion cubic liters, 97% of this volume is found in seas and oceans, and only 2.4% is
present in the solid state as ice in the ice sheet. Water has distinctive properties, as it is
liquid and transparent, as it has no color due to its purity, taste and smell, and the water
molecule is formed by the bonding of an atom of oxygen and two hydrogen atoms.
Water constitutes approximately two thirds of a person’s weight, and this explains the
vital importance of water for human life, as the proportion of water in the human body
ranges between 55% to 78% depending on the size and age of the human being, and
this percentage rises to 97% in the bodies of infants. It is noted that when the amount of
water in the human body decreases from the normal level, he feels thirsty, as scientists
have proven that a person cannot survive without drinking water for a long time, and the
dangers that result from a decrease in the amount of water in the human body include
dehydration, dizziness, and nausea. , Muscle spasms, and disorders in the blood
supply, as dehydration causes some of the body's functions that need water to stop
working. The problem of water shortage is prevalent in most countries these days,
especially the lack of safe water. According to United Nations statistics, nearly a fifth of
the world suffers from water scarcity due to the lack of water sources available to them,
and hundreds of millions are also close to reaching this situation, while nearly 1.6 billion
people around the world from the problem of water shortage as a result of the lack of

3
financial ability of their governments to fetch water from various sources such as rivers
and springs, and we will talk in this article about the most important causes of this
problem and its solutions. Oil Black gold or crude oil, which is a viscous liquid with a
density, whose color ranges from greenish black, and is considered a flammable
substance. The oil is extracted from the upper layers of the earth's crust in special ways,
and the types of oil vary according to the place of extracting it and extracting it, so the
difference in its composition and appearance appears greatly, The origins of oil are due
to the fact that they are the remnants of living organisms that have been subjected to
high pressure and heat for a period of time exceeding millions of years. These
organisms begin to decompose under the influence of the previous three factors. Oil
arises as a result of burying the quantities of microorganisms in the depths of the
oceans after the area of water on the surface of the earth has expanded, and these
organisms accumulated and deposited under mud, rocks and sand at very large depths
under the ground, and then the stage of formation of sedimentary rocks begins with the
enormous pressure and height that occurs on The temperatures are in the ground, so
the sedimentary rock is affected by several chemical processes that result in kerogen.
When this waxy substance is exposed to a temperature of one hundred degrees
Celsius, the components start to separate, so the gas (natural gas) separates from the
liquid (oil), and even Decomposition of oily liquid must remain buried in the area with a
depth of greater than it was, and should be subject to temperatures in excess of two
hundred degree heat, thus exposing the material particles of weakness and
disintegration and thus degrade. The mixture of hydrocarbons is the main constituent of
oil, and this mixture is compounds of hydrogen and carbon together, in addition to the
chemical elements: oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur, and a small percentage of nickel or
vanadium, and the last metallic constituents constitute only one percent of the oil as a
whole Also, the precious chemical alkanes enter into its composition and number four:
methane CH4, ethane C2H6, propane C3H8, Bhutan C4H10, There are many causes
behind water shortages, which differ from one region to another. Some of these causes
are caused by human actions, and some are caused by natural causes outside of
human intervention. Water pollution: It is one of the serious problems that cause the
destruction of most of the fresh water sources around the world, because of its pollution
with oil or chemicals, whether resulting from industrialization or human consumption, or
as a result of the presence of leaks in sewage lines, or the absence of these lines from
the ground, but the most important of them are the oil spills, Oil spills pose a major
threat to birds that live near the beaches, although some birds can escape from the
traps of oil slicks, but the birds that depend on their food to swim and dive are more
vulnerable to oil pollution, as well as destroy the nests' places for those birds, especially
migrating from them, as well as A small amount of oil adhered to the feathers of birds is
not only enough to prevent them from flying, but also prevents the water from reaching
its body, which leads to a decrease and high temperature in the hull and killing of birds.
In many cases, oil spills kill marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, otters and Seal,
where oil leads to the dam breaths whales and dolphins, for example strangle.

4
 Oil spills

There is a new danger threat the marine environment , its consider a high level
challenge that we need to deal with it because its not a plastic or the regular human
pollutant , its oil The rapid economic development for many countries since world war
2 has caused marine transportation of raw material and especially cured oil to
increased and as a oil spills to the water as accidents and that’s a problem can casue a
wide range of impacts in the marine environment and are often portrayed by the media
as ‘environmental disasters’ , and beside the serious damage that oil can effects
marine life and animals it will affect too the people living near the contaminated
coastline, affecting their livelihoods and impairing their quality of life . Over several
decades this problem have been studied and documented in the scientific and technical
literature, in time, natural recovery processes are capable of repairing damage and
returning the system to its normal functions. The recovery process can be assisted by
removal of the oil through well-conducted clean-up operations, and may sometimes be
accelerated with carefully managed restoration measures. Long term damage has been
recorded in a few instances. However, in most cases, even after the largest oil spills,
the affected habitats and associated marine life can be expected to have broadly
recovered within a few seasons.

Mechanisms for oil spill damage

The oil may impact the environment by the following mechanism:

1. physical smothering with an impact on physiological functions

2. chemical toxicity giving rise to lethal or sub-lethal effects or causing impairment
of cellular functions
3. ecological changes, primarily the loss of key organisms from a community and
the takeover of habitats by opportunistic species
4. indirect effects, such as the loss of habitat or shelter and the consequent
elimination of ecologically important species.

There are some factor that effect the nature and duration of an oil spill such like: the
quantity and type of oil spilt, the location of the spill and the timing other key factors are
the biological composition of the affected environment, the ecological importance of the
component species and their sensitivity to oil pollution.
The potential effects of a spill are also dependent upon the speed with which the
pollutant is diluted or dissipated by natural processes. if we want to determine the
extent damage of oil The characteristics of the spilt oil can play a important role , A spill
of a large quantity of highly persistent oil, such as a heavy fuel oil (HFO), has the
potential to cause widespread damage in the intertidal zones of shorelines through
5
smothering. However, toxic effects are less likely for HFO, or other highly viscous oil
that has low water solubility, as the chemical components of the oil have a low biological
availability. As shown in figure

the chemical components of kerosene or other light oils have a higher biological
availability and damage through toxicity is more likely. However, rapid dissipation,
through evaporation and dispersion, means light oils may be less damaging overall, as
long as sensitive resources are sufficiently distant from the spill location. On the other
hand, effects can be expected to be greatest and longer lasting in situations where
dilution is slowed, such as when the pollutant becomes trapped in muddy sediments or
in enclosed areas

There are some factor influencing the degree of impact of oil spills:

• the amount of exposure of each animal to oil .

• the pathway through which each animal is exposed to oil
• the age, reproductive state, and health of each animal
• the type of synthetic chemicals used by response teams to clean the spill

6
How many oils spilt in this ocean during the 50 years???

During the 1990s, the average number of large spills per year was about a third of the
amount that was witnessed during the 1970s. When looking at the quantities of oil
spilled, it should be noted that 1, 133, 000, 213, 000 tons of oil were lost in the 1990s
and 2000s, respectively. In a four-year period, 2010-2013, there were 22,000 tons of oil
lost.

What happen when oil spills in water??

Oil spills coat everything they touch and become unwelcome but long-term parts of
every ecosystem they enter. When an oil slick from a large spill reaches a beach, oil
coats and clings to every rock and grain of sand. If the oil washes into coastal marshes,

7
mangrove forests, or other wetlands, fibrous plants and grasses absorb oil, which can
damage plants and make the area unsuitable as wildfire habits . When oil eventually
stops floating on the water's surface and begins to sink into the marine environment, it
can have similar damaging effects on fragile underwater ecosystems, killing or
contaminating fish and smaller organisms that are essential links in the global food
chain.At the same time, it undergoes a series of chemical and physical changes These
processes are collectively termed ‘weathering’. Weathering causes the spilled oil to
break down and become heavier than water. Some of these processes, like the natural
dispersion of oil into water, lead to the removal of the oil from the sea surface and
facilitate its natural breakdown in the marine environment.

Effects of oil spilt on marine life

The oil spills can affect marine life in two ways: from the oil itself and cleanup
operations. Spilled oil can harm living things because its chemical constituents are
poisonous. This can affect organisms both from internal exposure to oil through
ingestion or inhalation and from external exposure through skin and eye irritation. Oil
can also smother some small species of fish or invertebrates and coat feathers and fur,
reducing birds' and mammals' ability to maintain their body temperatures.

The most affected creature

The creatures most affected by oil are animals like sea otters and seabirds that are
found on the sea surface or on shorelines if the oil comes ashore. During most oil spills,
seabirds are harmed and killed in greater numbers than other kinds of creatures. Sea
otters can easily be harmed by oil, since their ability to stay warm depends on their fur
remaining clean. If oil remains on a beach for a while, other creatures, such as snails,
clams, and terrestrial animals may suffer. Even if a marine animal is miles from the oil
spill, but they eat another organism that was close by, they'll ingest that oil, which is
poisonous. Ingesting oil can cause any number of problems besides death and
sickness. If an animal or other marine organisms ingests oil, it can affect their ability to
reproduce and produce viable offspring.
Example of creatures affected by oil spills:

• Birds: sea birds that swim and dive for their food are most likely to be covered
in oil following a spill. Oil spills also damage nesting grounds, potentially causing
serious -long-term effects on entire species. Even a small amount of oil can be
deadly to a bird. By coating feathers, oil not only makes flying impossible but also
8
 destroys birds' natural waterproofing and insulation, leaving them vulnerable to
hypothermia or overheating.

• Marine Mammals : Oil spills frequently kill marine mammals such as

whales, dolphins, seals, and sea otters. Oil can clog blowholes of whales and
dolphins, making it impossible for them to breathe properly and disrupting their
ability to communicate. Oil coats fur of otters and seals, leaving them vulnerable
to hypothermia. Even when marine mammals escape the immediate effects, an
oil spill can contaminate their food supply. Marine mammals that eat fish or other
food exposed to an oil spill may be poisoned by oil and die or experience other
problems.

9
• Fish: Oil spills often take a deadly toll on fish, shellfish, and other marine
life, particularly if many fish eggs or larvae are exposed to oil.

10
Wildlife Habitat and Breeding Grounds: Long-term damage to species
and their habitats and nesting or breeding grounds is one of the most far-reaching
environmental effects caused by oil spills. Even species that spend most of their lives at
sea, such as various species of sea turtles, must come ashore to nest. Sea turtles can
be harmed by oil they encounter in the water or on the beach where they lay their eggs,
their eggs can be damaged by oil and fail to develop properly, and newly hatched turtles
may be oiled as they scurry toward the ocean across an oily beach .

Corals: Coral
reefs provide an
extremely rich and
diverse marine
ecosystem, are
highly productive
and offer coastal
protection to
otherwise
exposed
shorelines. Corals
are highly
sensitive
organisms that
can take a long
time to recover
from oiling.
Dispersed oil
presents the greatest risk of damage to coral reefs. This risk is highest where increased
turbulence from breaking waves encourages natural dispersion of spilt oil and where
dispersants are used.

11
Discussion
And in the end, we're discussing this.The subject of oil spilling into the waters of the
seas and oceans one of the most important topics to be taken care of and try to find
the right solutions to this problem From our study of this topic it turns out that the
damage caused by the oil spill in the seas and oceans has serious consequences for
the environment in which we live, which makes it necessary for us to find the best
ways and possible solutions to reduce the existence of this problem and we have
discussed some of these solutions previously in the recommendation and therefore we
must find other solutions to reach the best possible result and this requires us some
effort, research and hard work human beings trying to preserve the environment in
which they live and from our personal perspective the best solution to this The problem
is to replace the traditional energy generation that depends on oil mainly in other ways
that are better efficient and less harmful to the environment around us such as power
generation using panels and solar cells or the use of yah power in power generation
and many other ways and in the end we must summarize this report that oil spills in
the waters of the seas and oceans are too dangerous to significantly affect the
environment negatively It may kill organisms living in this environment and affect other
organisms that depend directly on these animals as food or medical uses and also
affect the climate and atmosphere surrounding this area, which negatively affects the
humans living in these areas

Recommendation
Proposed ways to solve the problem of oil spill into the seas and oceans

1- Microbes and bacteria can be used. Their use contributes Through what's known
as biotherapy. they are capable of consuming and converting environmental
pollutants.
2- The floating arms can be used It's a modern technology that can be used to
minimize the damage of this problem. Where they are placed in the spot where
they were leaked to take the spread of oil in larger areas So it limits the damage
of this problem.
3- Skimming using the levers Quiet Where oil and oil are separated from the water
these materials are placed in tanks and then processed for reuse.
4- The use of different absorbents which helps to absorb oil from water For
example, straw and volcanic ash. Plastic sawdust derived from plastic This
method is done by deploying the material at the site of the leak.
5- manual roads Sometimes this leak reaches the beaches Sandy And the closed
rocky beaches are difficult to use the previous roads, so we use manual methods
to separate oil from the water.

12
In the end all these methods will not have to be used if the diversion does not occur in
the first place and prevention is better than a pound of cure, so we must try to avoid
such accidents or look for other ways of transporting oil or using other means of
generating energy less than oil and less harmful to the environment

Conclusion
In summary we say that the pouring of oil in the waters of the seas and oceans leads to
many damage and natural heritage affecting the surrounding environment directly and
from these damages killed and affected marine life significantly leading to food
shortages It also causes the death of some birds and these oil leaks can cause fires
and thus pollute the air caused by these fires. It can affect fishermen's activity and the
tourism sector as well.

References
1- https://mawdoo3.com/%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%81_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85
%D8%A7%D8%A1
2- https://mawdoo3.com/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1_%D8%B9%D9%86_%D8%A
7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B7
3- https://www.thoughtco.com/environmental-consequences-of-oil-spills-1204088
4- https://www.intechopen.com/books/emerging-pollutants-in-the-environment-current-and-
further-implications/impact-of-oil-spills-on-marine-
life?fbclid=IwAR174XH2VCUsQAgqK73MAovEysy-a9ucJzUTH7UQS4MKYvr7nLK3qjXT3Xw
5- https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw330?fbclid=IwAR2Xs4NxEu_2SE_jBTh8wxcTnkFBzudAZbt7GH-
NfnfgsdjzKW33vb0kr_0

13