02.01.2025, 17:10
Environmentalists assessed the extent of pollution of the Black Sea after the tanker crash
Source: OREANDA-NEWS
OREANDA-NEWS Environmentalists have assessed the extent of pollution of the Black Sea after the tanker crash. According to Ilya Rybalchenko, an expert of the Russian Environmental Movement, some of the spilled fuel oil may surface in the summer, writes RBC.
According to preliminary estimates, less than half of the fuel oil has fallen on the Black Sea coast, and the remaining part may still be trapped in the water column.
At the same time, according to Rybalchenko, a catastrophe is not expected, since fuel oil has a different density than oil and will partially dissolve in water, "as if turning into droplets."
"These droplets have different densities. The lowest density floats, and, in fact, we are currently observing it on the shores. The average density is in the sea water column. That is why booms are meaningless when collecting fuel oil. Fuel oil is quite difficult to collect, because it is located mainly in the water column. And something settles to the bottom," the ecologist explained.
According to him, closer to summer, when the temperature rises, the density of fuel oil will change, which will lead to the fact that some of the fuel oil will start to float again. But these volumes will be dozens and even hundreds of times less than what was observed in December, Rybalchenko concluded.
The expert clarified that another part of the fuel oil will simply dissolve in water under the influence of heat, light and various microorganisms. "Precipitation will lower the remaining insignificant layers of fuel oil deeper, that is, it will wash away the sand, add storms and waves that will wash it, add microorganisms to this, add light and temperature to this, because in a couple of months, let me remind you, it will start to warm up in that region," he added.
The host of the Kinobus ProEko educational project, Georgy Kavanosyan, stated that it was impossible to make predictions about the extent of pollution of the Black Sea, recalling that according to some reports, leaks from one of the tankers were continuing.
"It is very difficult to predict something when we do not know the final amount of hydrocarbons that entered the water area (...) It could be up to one of the largest catastrophes in recent history if, conditionally, all 9 thousand tons end up in the Black Sea," the ecologist stressed, noting that it could take up to 10 years "until the bacteria cope with this pollution."
The wreck of two tankers in the Kerch Strait — Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 — became known on December 15. Later, information appeared about a fuel oil leak on the third tanker, Volgoneft-109. Previously, the cause of the incidents was adverse weather conditions.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that due to the situation with the fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait, a federal emergency regime is being introduced between the Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory.
According to preliminary estimates, less than half of the fuel oil has fallen on the Black Sea coast, and the remaining part may still be trapped in the water column.
At the same time, according to Rybalchenko, a catastrophe is not expected, since fuel oil has a different density than oil and will partially dissolve in water, "as if turning into droplets."
"These droplets have different densities. The lowest density floats, and, in fact, we are currently observing it on the shores. The average density is in the sea water column. That is why booms are meaningless when collecting fuel oil. Fuel oil is quite difficult to collect, because it is located mainly in the water column. And something settles to the bottom," the ecologist explained.
According to him, closer to summer, when the temperature rises, the density of fuel oil will change, which will lead to the fact that some of the fuel oil will start to float again. But these volumes will be dozens and even hundreds of times less than what was observed in December, Rybalchenko concluded.
The expert clarified that another part of the fuel oil will simply dissolve in water under the influence of heat, light and various microorganisms. "Precipitation will lower the remaining insignificant layers of fuel oil deeper, that is, it will wash away the sand, add storms and waves that will wash it, add microorganisms to this, add light and temperature to this, because in a couple of months, let me remind you, it will start to warm up in that region," he added.
The host of the Kinobus ProEko educational project, Georgy Kavanosyan, stated that it was impossible to make predictions about the extent of pollution of the Black Sea, recalling that according to some reports, leaks from one of the tankers were continuing.
"It is very difficult to predict something when we do not know the final amount of hydrocarbons that entered the water area (...) It could be up to one of the largest catastrophes in recent history if, conditionally, all 9 thousand tons end up in the Black Sea," the ecologist stressed, noting that it could take up to 10 years "until the bacteria cope with this pollution."
The wreck of two tankers in the Kerch Strait — Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 — became known on December 15. Later, information appeared about a fuel oil leak on the third tanker, Volgoneft-109. Previously, the cause of the incidents was adverse weather conditions.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that due to the situation with the fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait, a federal emergency regime is being introduced between the Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory.
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