Oil spill facts for kids

Kelp at an oil spill

Special barriers limit the spread of the oil spill

Oil-covered bird, the result of an oil spill

An oil spill happens when crude oil, mineral oil, or products made from them leak into the environment. This usually means oil spills into oceans, lakes, rivers, or along coasts.

Oil spills often come from ships and oil tankers. When oil spills into the water, it causes a lot of pollution. This pollution is very dangerous for aquatic organisms (animals and plants that live in water) and sea birds.

Oil can damage the fur of sea mammals and the feathers of sea birds. This makes it hard for them to stay warm or even float. Birds covered in oil can't fly or swim properly, which can be deadly for them.

How Oil Spills Harm Nature

Oil spills cause serious damage to the ecosystems they affect.

• Animals: Many animals get covered in oil. This can make them sick, unable to move, or even kill them if they don't get help. For example, birds can't fly or hunt for food when their feathers are soaked. Sea mammals can lose their ability to stay warm.
• Plants: Plants in the water, like kelp and mangroves, can also be harmed by oil. The oil can cover them, blocking sunlight and making it hard for them to grow.
• Habitats: The oil can ruin important places where animals live and find food, like coral reefs, wetlands, and beaches. This makes it harder for wildlife to survive in these areas.

Cleaning Up Oil Spills

When an oil spill happens, people try to clean it up and stop the oil from spreading. There are several ways to do this:

• Using barriers: Special floating fences, called booms, are used to surround the oil. These barriers help to keep the oil in one area, stopping it from spreading further.
• Skimming the oil: Special ships or devices can "skim" the oil off the surface of the water. They collect the oil into tanks so it can be removed.
• Chemical dispersants: Sometimes, chemicals are sprayed onto the oil. These chemicals break the oil into tiny droplets, which can then mix with the water. This can help the oil break down faster, but these chemicals can also have their own environmental effects.
• Controlled burning: In some cases, if it's safe, the oil on the water's surface might be carefully burned. This gets rid of the oil quickly, but it can cause air pollution.
• Bioremediation: This method uses tiny living things, like microorganisms (very small germs), that naturally "eat" or break down the oil. This is a slower process but can be very effective over time.

Cleaning up an oil spill is a huge and difficult job. It can take many years and a lot of effort to help the environment recover.

Images for kids

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  Oil slick from the Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea, September 2009

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  Crude oil at a facility in Ballsh, Albania

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  A bird covered in oil from the Black Sea oil spill

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  Chemical dispersants may be deployed from boats, planes, and underwater vehicles in response to an offshore oil spill

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  A U.S. Air Force Reserve plane sprays Corexit dispersant over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

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  Clean-up efforts after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

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  A US Navy oil spill response team drills with a "Harbour Buster high-speed oil containment system".

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  Oil slicks on Lake Maracaibo

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  Volunteers cleaning up the aftermath of the Prestige oil spill

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  Bags of oily waste from the Exxon Valdez oil spill

See also

In Spanish: Derrame de petróleo para niños