Noxious Consequences of Oil Spills in Water Bodies & Preventive Measures

Oil spills are very common but a serious problem. There are so many oil spill cases at the gulf, oceans reported every day but only the biggest ones make it to the headlines. That is one of the reasons all the people are not much aware of it and its deadly consequences to the environment and to us.   

Oil Spills continue to be a pressing problem and are the biggest source of water pollution. Most of the petroleum products are transported by ships around the world, and the investigation of oil from oceanic resources is steadily on the rise. And this gives rise to most of the accidents causing oil spills. 

Here are some of the dangerous consequences of oil spills that we should be aware of and preventive measures to avoid them:

Consequences:

• Threat To Marine Life

The density of oil is greater than the density of water because of which it floats in the water and prevents the oxygen from reaching inside the water. This is a fatal situation for marine animals and they die because of the lack of oxygen inside water. Not only that, if they come in contact with the oil from an oil spill, they can get under their protected fur, diminishing their ability to withstand the cold weather and also affect their reproduction cycle.

• Threat To Us

In many parts of the world, humans are dependent on marine life. If the wildlife and the plant life in the water is affected it also alters the lives and livelihoods of the humans that depend on the ecosystem. Also, consuming the fishes which come in contact with the harmful oil spills, can be fatal to human lives.

Preventive Measures:

• Preventing Oil Spills Using Eco-Friendly Fencing

There are a lot of eco-friendly techniques and oil spill clean up products available in the market, like fencing, filtration fabrics, filter socks, and so on that can provide significant shoreline protection from oil spillage. Companies provide excellent and unique eco-friendly products & solutions like the ones mentioned above that are remarkably beneficial to our environment. 

• Manual Cleanup

As the oil floats above the water and does not dissolve in it, it is very easy to scoop them up by hand-held tools like rakes, shovels, etc., and clean them. Cleaning the surface oil and oily debris is possible by manual labor and placing them in special containers removed from the shoreline. This does not even require any special training.

• Bioremediation 

It is a process where biological organisms are used to eliminate or neutralize an environmental pollutant by metabolic process. Biological organisms like fungi, algae, and bacteria, are used to treat the oil spill situation and remove any toxic or harmful substances. 

• Taking Care Of Small Things

You can maintain a checklist of small things to avoid even the small amounts of oil leakages. You can do this by making sure that the bolts of the engine are tightened properly, replacing cracked or impaired hydraulic lines, and checking the fittings regularly before they fail. 

CONCLUSION:

By following the above-mentioned steps and by creating awareness about oil spills is possibly the best way to depreciate its impact on the environment and our lives. Switching to many technological solutions that are now possible to clean up oil spills and by applying environmentally friendly and sustainable methods we can minimize the oil spills to a tremendous extent.

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