Scholarly record
ASSESSMENT OF SEACOASTS SELF-CLEANING CAPACITY IN CASE OF OIL POLLUTION
Abstract
The sea coasts and estuaries are especially exposed to the oil pollution harmful influence as they frequently suffer from oil spills relating to the tanker accidents, port and off-shore activities. The objective of the present research is to examine the rates of spilled fuel oil natural destruction on geographically different seacoasts and to assess their self-cleaning capacity. For this purpose, a number of contaminated sectors of the Atlantic coasts of France and Spain (areas of пїЅErikaпїЅ and пїЅPrestigeпїЅ tanker accidents), the Strait of Kerch (пїЅVolgoneft-139пїЅ tanker accident) and the Black Sea coast in Russia (area of the oil port of Novorossiysk) were studied. Long-term (from 6 to 15 years) field observations were carried out there. The oiled samples were analyzed with the use of thin layer and column chromatography, optical and gravimetric methods. The results show that in the course of time, the oil slicks demonstrate an exponential diminution in their size, number and in the ratio of labile hydrocarbons content to conservative asphaltic components content. The half-period of this diminution varies from 1 to 8 years, subject to the forms of fuel oil traces and geographical conditions. On the Strait of Kerch coast washed by shallow, slightly salted and highly bio-productive waters of the Sea of Azov the spilled fuel oil tends to disappear twice as rapidly as on French and Spanish coasts of the Atlantic Ocean. The multiple regression analysis of the obtained data enabled the authors to determine the dependence of the self-cleaning rates on the principal geographical factors, to identify the most vulnerable seacoasts to be protected in priority.
Publication Impact Profile
- Citations
- CrossRef - Citation Indexes: 1
- Scopus - Citation Indexes: 4
- Captures
- Mendeley - Readers: 4
Publication details
References0
Structured references will appear here after the reference import pass. The count is preserved now so the scholarly record is not incomplete.
Citing literature
Number of times cited according to Crossref: 1
View or Download full articleAccess options
SWS access login
Login as SWS Scientific CommitteeLogin as SWS Scientific PartnerLogin as SWS AuthorAuthors and approved SWS contributors will read and export their own linked papers after identity matching by SWS profile, email and SGEM GlobalID.
For librarian assistance: [email protected]
Purchase Instant Access
- Article can be downloaded after successful payment.
- Article may be used according to SWS library access terms.
- Article cannot be redistributed.