Chronic Oil Pollution from Vessels and Its Role in Background Pollution in the Southeastern Baltic Sea

Abstract

The results of long-term satellite monitoring of oil pollution of the sea surface in the southeastern Baltic Sea (SEB) are discussed in this paper. From June 2004 to December 2020, in total, 2780 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images from different satellites were received and analyzed. There were 788 oil spills detected in the study area. The oil spills were concentrated along the main shipping routes in the SEB. The volume of the detected oil spills was estimated. The average size of the spill was about 2 km2 or 0.8 m3. Seasonal variability of oil pollution shows a decrease in the number of oil detections in the autumn–winter period, which is associated with the prevalence of unfavorable wind conditions that limit the use of SAR technology for oil spill detection and navigation for small ships. In situ measurements show that seasonal variation in the concentration of oil products in seawater is characterized by a maximum in April and a minimum in July. Since 2007, a decrease in oil detections has been observed for the entire Baltic Sea, including the study area. The interannual variability also shows a decrease in the concentration of oil products in the water column. In the southeastern Baltic Sea, the volume of oil products released yearly to the sea surface from ships does not exceed 0.1% of the average instantaneous presence of oil products in the water column.

Crude Oil and Its Burnt Residues Induce Metamorphosis in Marine Invertebrates

“…The application of remote sensing to investigate oil pollution has demonstrated the concerning current level of global chronic oiling in the oceans, particularly in coastal areas. 38,94 Based on our results, the concentrations of crude oil that can induce metamorphosis in invertebrate larvae can be found in coastal areas exposed to chronic pollution and after accidental oil spills. 95−99 For instance, concentrations of up to 241 μg L −1 for total petroleum hydrocarbons were detected in surface waters at Shandong Peninsula (China) 100 while concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons in the highly industrialized Gulf of Trieste, Italy reached 43.2 μg L −1 .…”

“…A suspension of oil droplets was prepared by adding oil to seawater under high-speed magnetic stirring. The detailed method is described in Almeda et al (2021). 48 This procedure results in oil droplets with a mean diameter of 8 μm (95% of droplets between 1 and 20 μm), which has previously been analyzed with an imaging particle analysis system (Flow-Sight).…”

A multifunctional silver@titanium dioxide composite cloth for oil and water separation

“…However, with the continuous development of society, the discharge of industrial sewage and the leakage of oil from ships in the sea are becoming increasingly serious. 1,2 Oil pollution and wastewater are bringing risks to the ecological environment 3 and limiting the development of the social economy. 4 Inspired by the special wettability of natural biological surfaces, scholars have studied a series of different wetting materials for the treatment of oily wastewater (Table 1).…”

Maritime Accidents Impact on Marine Environment. A Case Study of the Romanian Coast of the Black Sea

“…The main causes of marine pollution are industrial and urban emissions, shipping, oil tanker accidents, or offshore production. Marine accidents resulting in great fuel spills are responsible for the largest share of water pollution, whereas pollution from accidental spills on board is a constant threat leading to greater damage to the marine environment [2][3][4][5][6].…”