Gulf Oil Spill Paper - Essay Example

Both the air and water pollutants are primary pollutants (Norse & Amos, 2010). This is because the hydrocarbon fumes, smoke, and the oil are released from the source of pollution directly into the environment. They also keep hold of their chemical components. Question 2 There are a number of effects which are associated to the spill. Numerous different species of animals and coral died. The demise of these marine creatures could be seen as both short-term and long-term effects on the environment and wildlife.

Nonetheless, there are other short-term effects of the spill on the wildlife and environment. One, water pollutants may lead to a significant decrease of the marine creatures. Two, oil may penetrate the bodies of marine animals, lessening their insulating capacity, and making them more susceptible to temperature changes and less active in water. The long-term effects include, one, water pollutants may lead to the extinction of species because of the bottlenecking that may happen to attempt to repopulate the creatures.

Two, creatures that depend on scent to locate their mothers or babies disappear due to the stout oil smell. This causes the rejection or abandonment of babies, hence their starvation and eventual death (Norse & Amos, 2010). Question 3 The troposphere is closest to the surface of the earth. It has the ability of diluting pollutants. It also moves air pollutants from high pollution production areas to lows production pollution areas. The stratosphere is above the troposphere. Pollutants in this layer remain in the atmosphere for long because they do not disperse.

In the mesosphere, temperature lessens with height. Therefore, pollutants remain in the atmosphere for a prolonged period. Temperature augments with height in the thermosphere. Therefore, pollutants are moved from where they have high concentration to other areas. The exosphere is the external layer. This layer enables the movement of pollutants to far distances because molecules and atoms are widely spread. The identified pollutants from the spill will affect the atmosphere. This is because the burned oil releases hydrocarbon fumes and smoke which react to develop ozone in the atmosphere (NOAA, 2013).

Question 4 The different cleaning procedures include bioremediation, dispersants, skimming, and natural degradation. Bioremediation Bioremediation entails the employment of micro organism metabolism to get rid of pollutants. It may include ex situ or in situ technologies. Ex situ entails the elimination of the polluted material to be cleaned at a different location. Conversely, in situ entails treating or cleaning the polluted material at the site. Dispersant Dispersants are chemical elements that break the tension that separates water and oil.

When a dispersant is sprayed on oil, the oil collects in reduced droplets making them to sink. This facilitates a natural breakdown. Skimming Skimming equipment with fine filtering systems may be utilized to clean up oil spills. First, the spill is controlled using booms then the oil is skimmed from the surface. Booms can be made from stout material or neoprene. Natural Degradation The most appropriate way of dealing with an oil spill if it is not probably going to pollute coastal regions or fishing areas is to let it naturally break down (NOAA, 2013).

Question 5 There are several new regulations and safety measures for oil drilling. One, organizations are required to provide