Oil spills affect water in a variety of ways. When oil is released into water, it does not blend with the water. Oil floats on the surface of salt and fresh water.
Over a very short period of time, the oil spreads out into a very thin layer across the surface of the water. This layer, called a slick, expands until the oil layer is extremely thin. It then thins even more. This layer is called a sheen and is usually less than 0.01 mm thick.
In contrast, a near shore oil spill can be totally controlled by currents and wave action that causes the oil to come ashore, damaging marine shoreline habitat.
crude oil
Researchers have developed a special filter coating
that essentially can strain oil out of water
When many of us think of oil, we think of the stuff that we put into our car engines. We might also think of gasoline (also known as petrol) - the stuff that our cars need to run on.
In reality, crude oil is a much larger part of our lives than many of us realize. There are more than 4,000 different petrochemical products. These products are manufactured by refining crude oil.
Here are some common products that are made from oil:
•Gasoline
•Diesel fuel
•Heating oil
•Jet fuel
•Bunker fuel
•Fertilizers/pesticides
•Plastics
•Synthetic rubber
•Synthetic fibers
•Fertilizers/pesticides
•Dyes
•Paint
•Detergent
•Photographic film
•Food additives (canned food)
•Medicine
•Synthetic fibers (such as polyester, nylon, acrylic)
•Make-up
•Candles
It would be extremely difficult (probably impossible?) to live a civilized life in a developed country without using oil. Even those of us who are concerned about the environment, can’t help but use products that are derived from crude oil. Sad but true.
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