Comprehensive insights into the impact of oil pollution on the environment

Abstract

This comprehensive review delves into the environmental toxicity of oil, with a focus on its profound effects on aquatic ecosystems, soil, and plant life. Human activities, especially those related to offshore oil exploration and transportation, contribute to significant disruptions in marine environments, resulting in oil spills and pollution. The chemical properties of various oils, including petroleum, crude oil, and waste oil, are analyzed to understand their composition and potential environmental impact due to having amines, azides, heavy metals, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and benzene compounds. The consequences of oil pollution extend from immediate ecological impacts to long-term effects on human health indirectly due to the exploitation of primary producers. The focus then shifts to the impact of oil pollution on soil ecosystems, microbial health, sea birds, coral reefs, and mangrove plants. The penetration of oils into plant cells, the impact on transpiration rates, interference with photosynthesis, and genotoxic effects underscore the intricate consequences of oil contamination on plant physiology and genetics. The study also highlights the potential of certain aquatic plants as effective oil sorbents, offering a sustainable solution for oil spill cleanup. This review provides an understanding of the environmental toxicity of oil, offering insights into its impact on aquatic ecosystems, soil, and plant life, and proposing strategies for mitigating oil pollution and reducing its ecological footprint.