Oil Pollution in Venezuela

How it Happens An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term often refers to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters. The oil may be a variety of materials, including crude oil, refined petroleum products (such as gasoline or diesel fuel) or by-products, ships' bunkers, oily refuse or oil mixed in waste. Spills take months or even years to clean up.liquidpetroleum hydrocarbonpollutionmarineoceancoastal waterscrude oilgasolinediesel fuelshipswaste

The oil penetrates and opens up the structure of the plumage of birds, reducing its insulating ability, and so making the birds more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much less buoyant in the water. It also impairs birds' flight abilities, making it difficult or impossible to forage and escape from predators. As they attempt to preen, birds typically ingest oil that covers their feathers, causing kidney damage, altered liver function, and digestive tract irritation. This and the limited foraging ability quickly causes dehydration and metabolic imbalances. Hormonal balance alteration including changes in luteinizing protein can also result in some birds exposed to petroleum. [2] Most birds affected by an oil spill die unless there is human intervention. [3] [4]plumagebuoyantpreenkidneyliver digestive tract dehydrationmetabolicluteinizing protein Marine mammals exposed to oil spills are affected in similar ways as seabirds. Oil coats the fur of Sea otters and seals, reducing its insulation abilities and leading to body temperature fluctuations and hypothermia. Ingestion of the oil causes dehydration and impaired digestions.Marine mammalsSea otterssealsbody temperaturehypothermia Because oil floats on top of water, less light penetrates into the water, limiting the photosynthesis of marine plants and phytoplankton. This, as well as decreasing the fauna populations, affects the food chain in the ecosystem.photosynthesisphytoplankton

The most vivid images of oil pollution seen by us are those large spills that have an apparent and instant effect. Images on the television and in news papers of oil soaked birds and beaches stick in our minds. After a spill, an oil slick spreads across the water’s surface, then washes up on the beach coating animals and plants that come into contact with it both on and off shore. The effects are spread across a huge array of wildlife. All the costs discussed here are particularly relevant to a spill but the gradual oil pollution caused by ongoing contamination through drainage and industry has the same effects.

Regardless of how the water gets into the sea, its substance is lighter than the density of water. This means that it floats on the surface of the sea (occasionally very dense oil can sink). The oil spreads along the surface of the ocean forming an oil slick, and the flow of the tide spreads it further from the source until it becomes thinner and thinner eventually turning into a sheen. The sheen has a rainbow like appearance similar to that on road surfaces after heavy rain.

Some of the oil (up to 10-30%) sticks on to or gets absorbed by physical material floating or hanging in the water. This drops to the ocean floor and usually happens in more shallow waters. Oil can also form into lumps which can stay in the ocean or wash up on beaches. These can exist from a month to a year in the enclosed seas and up to several years in the open ocean [Benzhitski, 1980]. Oil lumps and slicks affect the ecology system both within the ocean and on affected coastlines. Animals and birds become coated in oil which destroys their insulation and they also swallow it when they try to clean themselves.