Oil Pollution Incidents Research Articles

Preventing Marine Pollution through MARPOL: Enhancing Protection for Coastal Ecosystems and Mangroves

This comprehensive study investigates the efficacy of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) in safeguarding coastal ecosystems and mangrove forests, analyzing implementation data from 15 major port areas across Southeast Asia over a five-year period (2018-2023). Through rigorous statistical analysis and GIS mapping, we evaluated multiple parameters including water quality indicators, mangrove health metrics, vessel traffic patterns, and pollution incident reports, establishing a significant correlation (r = 0.78, p < 0.001) between MARPOL compliance and ecosystem health improvement. Our findings reveal that regions with strict MARPOL enforcement experienced a 45% reduction in oil pollution incidents, 60% decrease in illegal discharge reports, and a 23% increase in mangrove seedling survival rates, while also identifying critical implementation challenges in developing nations related to resource limitations, jurisdictional complexities, and technical constraints in pollution monitoring. The study demonstrates the crucial role of MARPOL in marine ecosystem preservation while highlighting the need for enhanced international cooperation, improved monitoring technologies, and standardized reporting systems to achieve optimal environmental protection outcomes.

Identification and ranking of oil pollution by developing a preventive management and emergency response model against pollution: A case study of a mega port on the northern coast of the Persian Gulf

Oil pollution remains a critical environmental challenge in maritime transportation, significantly impacting marine ecosystems and coastal communities. This study investigates oil pollution incidents at the loading and unloading docks of Imam Khomeini Port and aims to develop a comprehensive prevention and emergency response management model. We conducted a thorough evaluation of environmental components, specifically Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs), and utilized the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to identify and prioritize risks. Key findings revealed four emergency pollution scenarios, highlighting critical areas that require immediate intervention. Our analysis underscored essential agenda items for effective emergency response planning, scoring 4.4 for environmental resource conservation and 4.35 for pre-incident responsibility assignment. Furthermore, a McKinsey Gap Analysis identified seven strategic priorities for the emergency response plan, indicating substantial weaknesses in the strategy (1.65) and skills (1.75) dimensions, demonstrating inadequate crisis preparedness. These results emphasize the urgent need for a robust emergency response model tailored to mitigate oil pollution risks. By addressing identified gaps, this study provides a strategic framework for enhancing environmental management practices at the port, fostering more sustainable operations in the Persian Gulf region. Ultimately, our findings advocate for collaborative efforts among stakeholders, including national and international organizations, to implement rigorous environmental policies and effective monitoring systems to safeguard marine environments against oil pollution.

Marine Oil Pollution Monitoring Based on a Morphological Attention U-Net Using SAR Images.

This study proposed an improved full-scale aggregated MobileUNet (FA-MobileUNet) model to achieve more complete detection results of oil spill areas using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. The convolutional block attention module (CBAM) in the FA-MobileUNet was modified based on morphological concepts. By introducing the morphological attention module (MAM), the improved FA-MobileUNet model can reduce the fragments and holes in the detection results, providing complete oil spill areas which were more suitable for describing the location and scope of oil pollution incidents. In addition, to overcome the inherent category imbalance of the dataset, label smoothing was applied in model training to reduce the model's overconfidence in majority class samples while improving the model's generalization ability. The detection performance of the improved FA-MobileUNet model reached an mIoU (mean intersection over union) of 84.55%, which was 17.15% higher than that of the original U-Net model. The effectiveness of the proposed model was then verified using the oil pollution incidents that significantly impacted Taiwan's marine environment. Experimental results showed that the extent of the detected oil spill was consistent with the oil pollution area recorded in the incident reports.

Seychelles Plateau's oil spill vulnerability

Small Island Developing States, such as Seychelles, are highly susceptible to oil pollution incidents, with limited infrastructure for detection and mitigation. While an oil spill could significantly impact Seychelle's tourism industry, contributing to ~40% of its GDP, the archipelago's vulnerability remains largely unknown. Here, we developed a high-resolution ocean circulation model for Seychelles Plateau, simulating currents over three years (2018–2020) to model oil spill dispersal to six ecologically and economically significant coastal areas. Our findings reveal distinct seasonality in offshore risk distribution, driven by seasonal fluctuations in atmospheric and oceanic circulations. We show that an oil spill originating from any part of the plateau could potentially impact a sensitive coastal site in less than five days. By identifying high-risk areas, including the major north-south shipping route, we emphasize the importance of close satellite and airborne monitoring for early warnings to protect Seychelles' coastal ecosystems and tourism industry.

Satellite imagery in evaluating oil spill modelling scenarios for the Syrian oil spill crisis, summer 2021

The second-largest oil pollution incident in the Eastern Mediterranean Levantine basin, following the oil pollution crisis in Lebanon in 2006, is considered to be the oil leakage from the Syrian Baniyas power plant (summer 2021), during which 12,000 tons of oil were released. At the operational phase, the everyday predictions of oil drift were provided using the MEDSLIK and MEDSLIK-II models in the framework of an agreement between the Mediterranean Operational Network for Global Ocean Observing System (MONGOOS) and the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean (REMPEC). In this work, we present a novel post-operational comprehensive model-based analysis, conducting a SAR validation in two model outputs: the MEDSLIK and the OpenDrift models. Each simulation is initiated with the operationally acquired EMSA-CSN and ESA SAR images. Moreover, the high-resolution met-ocean fields (CYCOFOS, SKIRON) are used to force the oil drift and transformation in both models. The spill was developed under the calm-wind conditions that prevailed during the incident. We found that the boundary sea currents developed on the periphery of the Lattakia eddies (anticyclonic and cyclonic) were responsible for the fast westward spreading of the oil spill offshore in the NE Levantine, the north-south pathway bifurcation, and re-landing of oil in the extended coastal area of Lattakia. Model outputs were validated against Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) images with appropriate performance metrics, used for the first time, to assess the capacity of a reliable representation of oil spill drift. The intercomparison between the two oil spill models indicated that both models produce almost similar results, while their validation against the satellite SAR observations illustrates moderate accuracy.

Mapping oil pollution in the Gulf of Suez in 2017–2021 using Synthetic Aperture Radar

The Gulf of Suez region accommodates diverse activities, including oil exploration and production, recreational activities, and export and import ports. The Gulf region is exposed to pollution risks due to these interactions, with few research studies documenting these pollution cases. This research aimed to use Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite data to detect and map all the oil pollution incidents within the geographical extent of the Gulf of Suez that occurred from 2017 to 2021, locating the most affected regions and possible sources of pollution. It enabled the detection and mapping of nearly 150 oil spill incidents that occurred over 67 dates during the study period and covered 851 km2 of the sea surface. The year 2018 recorded the greatest pollution area over the study period, with 201 km2. Along the Gulf coast, Suez, Ain Sokhna, and Ras Ghareb cities recorded the highest number of marine pollution incidents. The research also located seven sources of pollution that frequently discharge into the Gulf water without regulations. This research recommends implementing a real-time monitoring system for oil pollution to robustly detect any future oil incidents in these high-risk areas as quickly as possible and minimize their environmental impact.

Smart NiAl-LHDs-based superwetting Janus membrane based on charge demulsification for efficient separation of multiple emulsions and mixtures via multi-strategy synergy

In recent years, there has been an urgent need to remove low surface tension oil from oily wastewater due to the increasing industrial oily wastewater and the frequent occurrence of oil pollution incidents. Among these, emulsion separation in particular has become a global challenge. In previous studies, double layer hydroxides have been found to have hydroxide-rich surface and good hydrophilicity. Surprisingly, it is positively charged underwater, which is able to exert charge on oil-in-water emulsions containing anionic surfactants and thus demulsify them for efficient separation. Inspired by this, we prepared NiAl-LDHs on stainless steel mesh (SSM) by hydrothermal method, and then prepared Janus membrane by spraying method that can easily achieve on-demand separation of oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions, heavy oil/water and light oil/water mixtures. What's more, the prepared membrane maintains excellent performance after 10 cycles of emulsion separation and 25 cycles of oil–water separation. It maintains high hydrophobicity even after 50 impacts of sand and exhibits high repellency to acidic and alkaline droplets, so it can function in various harsh environments. The novel materials prepared in this work that can be used for charge demulsification and the proposed combination of multiple separation strategies have unlimited potential in the future of emulsion separation.

Considerations about the oil pollution incident on the Brazilian coast in 2019 and contributions to paradigm shifts

Considerations about the oil pollution incident on the Brazilian coast in 2019 and contributions to paradigm shifts

Management of marine oil spills: A case study of the Wakashio oil spill in Mauritius using a lens-actor-focus conceptual framework

Small Island Developing States, or SIDS, astride major shipping lanes are particularly vulnerable to pollution incidents. The Wakashio spill of nearly 1,000 t of very low sulphur fuel oil in Mauritius in August 2020 impacted 125 km2 of waterfront and over 30 km of shoreline. Although the Mauritius spill was preceded by major spills in New Zealand and the Solomon Islands, marine oil pollution management in SIDS remains largely unexamined in scholarly studies to influence regulatory or policy response. This paper, therefore, attempts to study the oil pollution contingency planning, preparedness, coordination of response and compensation for pollution damages in SIDS using the Wakashio incident as a case study of international interest. A lens-actor-focus triad is developed as a conceptual framework and applied for the case study research in management of marine pollution. The study indicated that any substantive oil spill in SIDS could disproportionately impact livelihoods and economy and highlighted that the significant and comprehensive United Nations system-wide response to the marine oil pollution incident was unlike ever before. The paper discusses, among other aspects, implications for management of marine oil pollution in SIDS with reference to strategies for prevention and containment of pollution, and integration of external assistance and local community into contingency plans. The study suggests that the lens-actor-focus may be a useful framework for study of contingency management including marine pollution and argues that integrating provision of external assistance by UN agencies into national contingency plans merits urgent critical consideration by SIDS, and concerned UN agencies including the International Maritime Organisation. The study also suggests scope for a review of the liability and compensation regime in the context of implications for SIDS.

Assessing the actions of the Brazilian Federal Government to respond to the 2019 mysterious oil spill: a perpective of the national environmental agency

On August 30, 2019, in the state of Paraíba, an oil spill of unprecedented characteristics reached Brazil, affecting 1009 coastal locations, in eleven states (from Maranhão to Rio de Janeiro). The objective of this paper is to present a description of the incident scenario from the perspective of the Brazilian Federal Government. Furthermore, the analysis of its performance regarding the actions and tools employed focuses on the role of the Federal Environment Agency (Ibama). Ibama led the Federal Government's initiatives for managing the spill when its true scale was yet unknown. Once the emergency was officially recognized, the Government acted through the implementation of the National Contingency Plan for Oil Pollution Incidents in Waters Under National Jurisdiction. From then on, the spill management was under the command of the "Grupo de Acompanhamento e Avaliação" (composed of Ibama, the Brazilian Petroleum Agency, and the Navy). The performance of other entities was crucial to make response actions feasible. Management tools were added to help the standardization, speed, and consolidation of the information collected in the field. Considering the specificities and limitations imposed by this event, we conclude that the Federal management of the spill was adequate, although opportunities for improvement were identified.

Melamine resin-coated lignocellulose fibers with robust superhydrophobicity for highly effective oil/water separation

• Superhydrophobic strategies based on condensation and addition reactions. • Oil spill clean-up through selective absorption and active filtration processes. • The scalable manufacturing strategy is low-cost and environment-friendly. oil pollution incidents emerge in endlessly, threatening global ecological security and environmental sustainability. It is a consensus of current scientific research to develop environmentally friendly, sustainable and degradable materials for polluted water body restoration. Cellulose is one of the most attractive candidate materials due to its abundant reserves and all-green degradability. Herein, a technique used to modify lignocellulose fibers via the condensation and addition reactions is reported, and the modified lignocellulose fibers exhibit excellent superhydrophobic and degradation properties. The modification process consists of two main steps: 1) the in situ construction of micro-nano structures on the surface of lignocellulose fibers through the condensation reaction using melamine and formaldehyde; 2) using the addition reaction between the isothiocyanate compound with low surface energy and the amino groups of the melamine resin. The superhydrophobic isothiocyanate/melamine/formaldehyde (IMF) lignocellulose fibers are extremely repellent to water both in atmospheric conditions and underoil. It can separate various oil–water mixtures by absorption (with a high oil absorption capacity of > 1000 wt%) and gravity-driven filtration (with a separation efficiency of > 96%). The embedded superhydrophobicity in the IMF lignocellulose fibers remained unperturbed (with the water contact angle of > 150° and the oil–water separation efficiency of > 97%) even after repeating for 50 cycles. The presented strategy not only indicates a new direction for the comprehensive utilization of abundant lignocellulose fibers, but also proposes a promising way for the development of oil–water remediation technology.

Legal Framework for Marine Oil Pollution from Ships in Thailand

Abstract Marine oil pollution from ships has been a constant threat to Thai waters. This article examines the domestication of the provisions of relevant international conventions to which Thailand is a party regarding the prevention, preparedness, response and compensation of claimants of marine oil pollution damage. The current Thai legal framework does not provide for adequate protection of the marine environment. Thailand has not yet become a party to many relevant international conventions and does not provide adequate compensation to victims of marine oil pollution incidents. This article provides recommendations for the improvement of the legal framework of Thailand regarding these issues.

Evaluating escalation in oil pollution and its framing: approaches used by the print media for coverage

Oil pollution incidents have become a reoccurring decimal in most countries during the last twenty decades. The controversy about who is responsible for the massive oil pollution experienced globally in certain oil-producing countries has amplified tensions between significant stakeholders in those countries. For example, oil pollution in Nigeria and Ghana has triggered ecosystem degradation, the devastation of local communities’ means of livelihood, and the death of aquatic organisms such as fish. This paper discusses the escalation in oil pollution and the print media’s coverage through a content analysis method. Our report evaluates news approaches developed by Semetko and Valkenburg (2000a, 2000b) and differences and similarities in the distribution of news frames among three Nigerian newspapers; The Daily Sun, The Guardian, and The Punch from 2014–2018. Our findings show that The Daily Sun used more of the frames of responsibility, economic consequences, and human interest in their oil pollution reports in the Niger-Delta region. This is probably because journalists at The Daily Sun often chose to be objective and on the people’s side by reporting the whole truth irrespective of the consequences to their job and news organization. This was in harmony with the quantitative content analysis results, where 57.7%, 63.3%, and 55.6% of oil pollution coverage were framed as responsibility, economic consequences, and human interest. In contrast, The Guardian and The Punch newspapers used less of these frames, perhaps due to the two papers’ laissez-faire attitude towards holding the oil companies accountable despite glaring evidence of the negative consequences of oil pollution on the livelihood of oil-bearing communities and the environment. However, our result also indicates that the morality frame was the least used among the three selected newspapers, as journalists find it challenging to give moral messages while maintaining journalistic neutrality.

Pengembangan metode penilaian ganti rugi usaha pariwisata bahari akibat insiden pencemaran minyak di laut

One of the functions of the coastal ecosystem is to produce environmental services that can be used for marine tourism. Oil pollution incidents at the sea have caused a decline in the quality of marine tourism objects, thus reducing the number of visitors arriving and then it has implications for decreasing the income of the people who do business at tourist area. The community's claim for immediate compensation payments requires a faster calculation method. The purpose of this research is to develop a method of assessing the economic compensation for marine tourism businesses that are affected by incidents of oil pollution at the sea. The type of this research is descriptive research. The data consists of primary data and secondary data. The steps required in calculating compensation are (1) identifying tourism businesses, (2) building a theoretical concept of compensation, (3) determining the legal basis for calculating compensation, and (4) Designing a compensation formula. The application of the five compensation calculation formulas requires 18 variables. By taking the case of an oil spill incident in the North Sea of ​​Karawang which has an impact on Tanjung Pakis beach tourism, an estimate of the value of compensation (Rp/day) is obtained for the buoy rental service business is Rp 111,323.08, for bathroom services business is Rp 69,504.62, for food/beverage trading business on a small scale is Rp 71,510.77 and for food/beverage trading business on a large scale is Rp 188,569.23. For the next stage, the implementation of compensation needs to be verified against the impacted community and the payment mechanism so that it is right on target.

Benchmark and Legal Framework Study on Oil Spill Prompt Response and Contingency Resources for Oil & Gas Offshore Structures: A Global Cooperation

ABSTRACT A well-developed legal and regulatory framework on contingency planning and response arrangements with establishment of clear responsibilities and coordination between government and industry is one of the success keys for an effective oil spill preparedness and response strategy. Furthermore, international co-operation and mutual assistance in preparing for and responding to major oil pollution incidents have become critical in order to reduce potential impacts to the environment and populations. National policies on oil spill coordination and response vary from nation to nation. Governments are encouraged to ratify the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation of 1990 (OPRC 90) and develop laws and procedures for preparing for and responding to oil spills. This is often accomplished through the preparation of a national contingency plan under the auspices of an agreed national regulatory authority (IPIECA, 2000). Following recent oil spills, such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon within the Gulf of Mexico, interest on oil spill legislation has risen among stakeholders, as regional and national policies in some regions of the globe became stricter, notably on the need of available contingency resources, as well as transboundary and coordinated response (as required, for example, by the recent Europewide Safety of Offshore Oil and Gas Operations). In this context, a benchmark and legal framework study on oil spill prompt response and contingency resources for Oil & Gas offshore infrastructures was performed, focusing on six relevant Oil & Gas production areas: United States, Canada, North Sea, India, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The continuous process of information gathering, review and consolidation throughout the analysis comprehended an establishment of a cooperation network of Oil & Gas consultant experts from these different areas of interest, including communication with local regulatory agencies in cases of uncertainties. The intent of this paper is to present the benchmarking and comparison of the legal requirements and regulatory framework on the availability of oil spill prompt response and contingency resources of these six areas of interest, as well as discuss potential legal weaknesses and opportunities for improvements on their regional and national contingency system.

Challenges Facing Myanmar in Developing a National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution

ABSTRACT Myanmar became signatory to the OPRC 1990 in December 2016 and hence requires applicable vessels, ports and offshore facility operators to develop and maintain oil spill contingency plans coordinated with the National Contingency Plan. At about the same time, a super tanker terminal was constructed at Kyaukpyu deep-seaport on the west coast of Myanmar. This project made Myanmar an oil receiver country thus raising the risk of significant oil pollution incidents. To mitigate the risk, Myanmar developed its National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution (NCP) in order to establish a coordinated oil spill preparedness and response policy and to align with the Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan (ROSCP) developed under the ASEAN MOU for Joint Oil Spill Preparedness and Response (ASEAN, 2014). Even with the NCP, Myanmar is still encountering a number of challenges to be fully prepared for severe and disastrous pollution incidents. Chief among these is the establishment of a proper spill response capability including trained personnel and a stockpile of appropriate response equipment. Many options are being considered: government funding; establishing a mutual aid program led by industry; contract bases; or some combination of these. This paper looks at the actions Myanmar is taking to develop a state of the art NCP that is appropriate for Myanmar and the Region. The paper also discusses some of the key challenges Myanmar is facing, including transboundary issues and the solutions being considered and/or adopted to address such challenges.

Founding Principles for Cooperation & Success for Oil Spill Preparedness & Response

Abstract Thirty years ago, a diplomatic conference held in Paris recognised the importance of cooperation in helping countries better prepare for and respond to oil pollution incidents. The Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation Convention (OPRC 90) was thus conceived and shortly afterwards, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and IPIECA jointly developed a program to help nations implement the provisions of the Convention with practical assistance and technical cooperation as the central offering. This programme, which was launched in Cape Town and became known as the Global Initiative (GI), is still growing, developing and evolving some 24 year later. A key fundamental concept is the principle of regionality. Often countries in a specific region share similar geographical features and cultures, and face similar risks associated with the extraction and transportation of oil, which transcend the needs of national sovereignty and independence. The GI program focuses on these shared values of marine environmental protection and draws strength, not only from the collective will of national governments to protect the marine environment, but also on the needs of industry to work collaboratively with regulators and authorities to achieve a common goal for society. A regional approach also “raises the bar” in terms of national preparedness, ensuring a regional level playing field. It also underscores the need for regional collaboration noting that a catastrophic oil spill may exceed the capacity for any single country to respond. To that end, the GI program has further developed to be in a position to accommodate the growing range of needs of countries implementing OPRC 90, from offering support on core concepts (on topics such as implementing legislation, designating authority in charge etc.), to facilitating training on more technical topics (e.g. sensitivity mapping and how to implement a shoreline clean-up program). For a quarter of a century, the GI model has progressed into a series of regional programs which now encompass a third of all maritime coastal states. In this session we will hear more of these regional manifestations of GI, their challenges and opportunities which will provide us with a truly global perspective on what GI has achieved and has still to achieve in a world where the risks of oil spills continue to evolve. This paper will explore the concept of regionality and other key elements that continue to make the program relevant and adaptable to the oil spill risks that society faces today.

P&I INSURANCE COVER: INSURANCE OF OIL POLLUTION RISKS IN MARITIME LAW

This article attempts to analyze the insurance of pollution risks in maritime activities. The article mainly focuses on oil pollution. This article also discusses the importance of shipowner insurance for the coverage of damages caused by pollution, focusing on shipowner's liability insurance. The shipowner's liability insurance is the basis of the oil pollution compensatory system, the role of insurance in creating a regime that provides adequate compensation to oil pollution victims and reduces the number of oil pollution incidents. The study briefly discusses the P&I Insurance, CLC Convention, and other regulatory documents in the context of oil pollution. Key words: P&I clubs, "strict liability", "compulsory insurance", maritime adventure, oil pollution, CLC

<b>Sensitivity mapping of oil pollution incidents in land environments

The Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Map is an element to guide the planning of contingency. Road transport is the main vectors in accidents which cause oil spilling in the environment. Since terrestrial environments do not have their environmental sensitivity index, as the marine environment have. Current analysis forwards a proposal for mapping environmental sensitivity to oil and oil derivatives spills in terrestrial environments. Four factors have been included in the Environmental Sensitivity Index Maps: (1) biological resources; (2) socioeconomic mosaic; (3) land cover; (4) Terrestrial Environmental Sensitivity Index (TESI). ESI maps were prepared in five pilot areas for the Rodovia dos Tamoios, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, featuring intermediary class TESI, diversity in socio-economic activities, land cover and constant presence of fauna. Adequacy for sensitivity in terrestrial environments triggers the systematization of an efficient, fast and simple production index.

THE INTERNATIONAL LAW REGARDING SHIP-SOURCE POLLUTION LIABILITY AND COMPENSATION: EVOLUTION AND CURRENT CHALLENGES

THE INTERNATIONAL LAW REGARDING SHIP-SOURCE POLLUTION LIABILITY AND COMPENSATION: EVOLUTION AND CURRENT CHALLENGES