This teaching guide is designed to complement the 20-minute video, Crude Energy.  Click here to request the video.  Please note that video supplies are limited and may no longer be available.

Oil may provide the ingredients for thousands of products we use every day, but it carries with it some potential problems. While oil is a product of the Earth, it can be harmful to the environment when it is brought to the surface if not handled properly.

Oil spills on land, rivers, bays and the ocean are mostly caused by accidents involving tankers, barges, pipelines, refineries and storage facilities. These accidents can be caused by human mistakes, carelessness or sometimes by natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes. Deliberate acts by terrorists, countries at war, vandals, or illegal dumpers prove that oil spills aren’t always accidents.

In ocean saltwater, oil floats. It usually floats when spilled in fresh water (rivers or lakes) too. Rarely, very heavy oil will sink in fresh water, but generally, it spreads out rapidly across the water’s surface and forms a thin layer called an oil slick. As the spreading process continues the oil layer becomes thinner and starts to look like a rainbow. This fine layer is called a sheen. Sometimes after a rain, the same type of sheen is seen on roads or parking lots.

Oil spills are often harmful to marine birds, mammals and, sometimes, fish and shellfish. Birds are protected from the elements by their feathers, which overlap like tiles on a roof. The separate strands on each feather are bound together by rows of tiny hooks, creating a tight weave. The bird’s skin stays warm and dry underneath. However, oil can clog the feather’s strands and hooks and allow water to penetrate to the bird’s skin.

Oil also can damage the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals such as sea otters. Many animals try to clean themselves but are poisoned after ingesting the oil.

Oil Spill Cleanup
When an oil spill occurs in the United States, the cleanup is sometimes taken care of by the responsible party but often requires the assistance of various local, state and federal agencies and volunteer organizations. The responsible party, however, is required by law to report the spill to the federal government.

Nearly 14,000 spills are reported each year in our nation, accounting for about 100 million gallons of oil. That’s equal to the volume of about 100 average school gymnasiums.

The largest single U.S. spill was in Alaska in 1989. An Exxon oil tanker ran aground to cause a spill of almost 11 million gallons of crude oil. It was a big spill, but only the 35th largest in the world. Surprisingly, 11 million gallons is less than 2 percent of the oil our country uses in one day, which sheds light on the tremendous volumes of oil that are shipped and handled safely.

A wide range of tools and techniques are used to clean oil spills. Mechanical containment or recovery is the biggest defense against oil-spill damage in the United States. Containment and recovery equipment includes a variety of booms, barriers and skimmers, as well as natural and synthetic materials that absorb oil. Mechanical containment is used to capture and store spilled oil until it can be disposed of properly.

Generally, the first step is to contain the oil so that it doesn’t spread more, said Brian Stanfield, executive vice president at Acme Products Co. in Tulsa, Okla., which specializes in oil spill cleanup. A common tool for containing oil is a boom, or a floating barrier. A boom, for example, may be placed around a leaking tanker to collect the oil. Stanfield said the goal is to increase the concentration of the oil in a smaller area so it can be collected easier.

A skimmer, which is a boat that skims spilled oil from the water surface, can then be brought in to collect the biggest part of the oil. Vacuum trucks often are used to vacuum oil from the water surface or beaches. Sorbents, big sponges that absorb oil, are particularly useful on oil sheens and thin slicks too scattered for skimming.

In-situ or “in-place” burning is a method of burning freshly spilled oil, usually while it’s floating on the water. Dispersants, chemicals that act as detergents to break oil into tiny droplets and dilute a spill’s effect, are commonly used as well.

Nature's Cleaning: Microbes
Aside from all the chemicals and gadgets that humans have produced to clean up spills, nature has a way of cleaning itself. One of the most interesting techniques for cleaning spills involves speeding up a process that has been around since millions of years before man. Biodegradation is a natural process by which microbes alter and break down complex compounds into simpler substances to gain energy and nutrients. The resulting products can be carbon dioxide, water and simpler compounds that do not affect the environment.

Microbes include bacteria, archaea, fungi and protists. Viruses might also be categorized as a major type of microbe, though there is debate as to whether viruses can be considered living creatures.

Microbiologists have found microbes living just about everywhere, including in soil, water, air, animals, plants, rocks and even in humans. A handful of garden soil contains hundreds if not thousands of different kinds of microbes. A single teaspoon of that soil contains over 1,000,000,000 bacteria, about 120,000 fungi and 25,000 algae. Microbes have been around for billions of years because they are able to adapt to the ever-changing environment.

However, the biodegradation process is relatively slow, and when an oil spill occurs, workers must act fast to protect the environment. Speeding up the process can be accomplished in two ways: adding fertilizing (nutrients) and/or seeding (adding more microbes). When technology is used to speed up the process, it is known as bioremediation. In recent years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that bioremediation is a safe and effective oil-removal option.

Oil isn’t the only substance tested for cleanup by microbes. Certain U.S. Army installations have tested the effectiveness of using microbes to remove explosive products deposited in soil after years of ammunition manufacturing and disposal. First the explosives-tainted soil is mixed with water and placed in a treatment container. The mixture is given regular doses of oxygen and a food source, which spur growth in microbes that already live in the soil. While “eating” the food, the microbes break down the explosives so the soil can be returned to its original site.

Even the most complex science can’t make up for the birds, animals and beaches that have been harmed by oil spills. That’s why prevention is being stressed more and more. The oil industry is coming up with safer ways to produce, transport and store oil. Safer vessel designs play a big role. Examples include double hulls, improved steering systems, improved radar detection systems, satellite and radio communication and computer monitoring of the vessel’s operations. Better aids for navigation systems also help reduce risks.

Sources
“Biological Remediation Overview.” Environmental Directions, Inc. 1998.
“Cleaning Up with Bacteria.” Discovery Channel School. 1999. Discovery Channel Communications, Inc. 27 May 2000.  http://school.discovery.com/schoolhome.html
Mike Buckley, “Bioslurry Microbes Tackle Large Cleanup Challenge,” 1997.http://aec-www.apgea.army.mil:8080/prod/usaec/op/update/spr97/bioslurr.htm,
May 2000.
Ray Gordon, “Bioremediation and its Application to Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Alaska,” 1994.
 “Oil Pollution and Birds.” Canadian Wildlife Service. 28 Jan. 1999.
 “Oil Spill Basics: A Primer for Students.” Oil Spill Intelligence Report. Cutter Information Corp. 2000. http://www.cutter.com/osir/primer.htm
 “Oil Spill Prevention and Response.” American Petroleum Institute. 26 Feb. 1999. http://www.api.org/oilspills/
“What’s the Story on Oil Spills?” Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 26 March 1998. http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/kids/spills.html    

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Last Updated: 02/16/03
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