Oil Spill Response in the Marine Environment

The rapid economic development of many countries since World War II has resulted in a considerable increase in the marine transport of raw materials, especially of crude oils, and in offshore activities. Inevitably, operational discharges from ships (ballast and bilge water), incidents such as collisions and groundings, and offshore exploration of oil and gas, lead to a significant amount of oil going into the sea. So far, understanding of marine environments, of oil and its behaviour when released onto the water surface, and of the methods and means of response to an oil spill, has been rather limited. This book introduces the reader to these problems and reflects the levels and trends of development in the field. The author has played an active role in combating marine pollution in the international arena since the 1970s and was awarded the International Maritime Prize for 1989 by the International Maritime Organisation.

For anyone interested in marine pollution response; especially for those training in marine spill combating.

Chapter and section headings: Introduction. Types and Characteristics of Oil. Oil characteristics. Behaviour of oil in marine environments. Impact of oil on marine environment. Input of oil to the marine environment. Chemical Response Technology to an Oil Spill. Natural cleansing. Chemical barriers, oil sinking agents and sorbents. Dispersion. Burning of oil at sea. Mechanical Response Technology to an Oil Spill. Containment systems. Clean-up techniques on water. Oil recovery vessels. Oil Spill Combating on Shores. Impact of oil on shores. Shoreline clean-up. Oil pollution combating operations. Oil combating in ice. Disposal of oil and oily debris. Limitation of Spills and Contingency Planning. Limitation of spills. Aerial surveillance. Oil spill training. Contingency planning. International cooperation. Glossary of Technical Terms. Selected Bibliography, Further Reading List. List of Tables. Index.