What was the solution to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill?
In the case of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, clean-up workers treated the oil with over 1.4 million gallons of various chemical dispersants. Typically such large amounts are sprayed over the open ocean from an airplane or helicopter.
What was the environmental impact of the Deepwater Horizon?
The scientists concluded that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed thousands of marine mammals and sea turtles, and contaminated their habitats.
What were some ways that BP and the government tried to stop the oil flow?
On the afternoon of May 26, BP technicians fired up pumps rated at a total of 30,000 horsepower and began shooting heavy drilling mud into the well. In addition, the BP team fired “junk shots”—a mix of golf balls, rubber balls and other detritus—in a bid to slow the oil flow.
What is a relief well and how was it used in the Deepwater Horizon incident?
However, in the case of the Deepwater Horizon incident, the relief well started May 2, 2010, was intended to plug the oil-gusher by pumping saltwater, mud and concrete into the far-underground pipe from which the blowing well is spewing oil.
How did the Deepwater Horizon oil spill affect humans?
The long-term effects of the BP oil spill on exposed cleanup workers produced an increased prevalence of illness symptoms such as shortness of breath, headaches, skin rash, chronic cough, weakness, dizzy spells, painful joints, and chest pain 7 years after their exposure to the oil spill.
Why is burning oil bad for the environment?
Burning oil can produce thick black plumes that disperse downwind as they rise into the atmosphere, potentially impacting air quality. Once the fires are out, oily residues in the water can cause environmental damage.
How did the oil spill affect the environment?
Oil spills frequently kill marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, seals, and sea otters. 10 Oil can clog blowholes of whales and dolphins, making it impossible for them to breathe properly and disrupting their ability to communicate. Oil coats fur of otters and seals, leaving them vulnerable to hypothermia.
What were are the environmental and economic impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico?
And while long-term damage estimates vary, a new study published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences determined that over seven years, the oil spill could have a $8.7 billion impact on the economy of the Gulf of Mexico including losses in revenue, profit, wages, and close to 22,000 jobs.
How did the Deepwater Horizon oil spill affect the economy?
Are oil spills pollution?
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution.
How does oil spill affect the environment?
Oil can kill surface-dwelling animals and birds by poisoning or suffocation, as well as affecting buoyancy and natural waterproofing. Contaminated food supplies mean animals may become malnourished or poisoned over time.
How do oil spills affect climate change?
Oil ‘spilled’ by all of us into the air by combustion drives runaway climate change. Contingency planning and response are necessary tools but not sufficient everywhere. Spills were landmarks to the global warming crisis and the need for decarbonisation.