Energy resources ad environmental pollution (L9) Flashcards
What are the causes of oil pollution
Vehicle engine lubricating oil Industrial machine oil Ship oil tankers Tankers accidents Discharging bilge water or ships sinking Accidental spillages Leakage during exploration
What are the effects of oil pollution
Some components are toxic Smothers and asphyxiates shore-life Hypothermia Impacts of young Prevent oxygen from the air dissolving Impacts of marine organisms which rely heavily on their sense of smell
How to control oil pollution
Recycling Equipment maintenance Bund walls Improves ship tanker design Improved ship tanker operation oil interceptors Cleaning up oil spills
How recycling works to control oil
Waste lubricating oil can be collected and refined
Conserves a finite resource
How ever since crude oil is cheap there is little incentive to do so
How does equipment maintenance control oil pollution
Good maintenance will reduce leakage from vehicle engines
How do bund walls help control oil pollution
Oil storage tanks may be built on a solid impermeable base surrounded by a bund wall
This would contain the oil if the tank split
How does improved ship design control oil pollution
They have doubled skinned hulls
Twin engines, twin fuel tanks and twin rudders
Separate oil and ballast water containers
How does improved tanker operation control oil pollution
Crew training
Inert gas system to prevent explosion
Crude oil washing to prevent build up of tarry sludge
Oil terminals now only accept washing water
What is the MARPOL convention
1983
2015, 152 states are parties to the convention
covers discharging waste
Ship design
What do booms do
Limit the spread of oil
Doesnt work in rough waters though
What do skimmers do
Rotating wheels to which the oil sticks
Scrapers then remove the oil
What does absorbent material do
Straw and fibrous plastics can be placed on the oil then collected and disposed of on land
What do polymerising chemicals do
Oil turns to a rubber like material which can be collected more easily
What do chemical dispersants do
Detergents break up the oil but are often toxic
