Oil Spills Related to Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology - Coursework Example

OIL SPILLS Oil Spills Related to Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology Introduction Oils spills have generated heated debate, since conservation of the environment has been a critical issue affecting nations across the globe. Globally, there has been several major oil spills since the year 2000. In the year 2000 alone, it recorded three oil spills. There was an oil spill in the Guanabara Bay, which is located in Brazilian capital city Rio de Janeiro. A ruptured oil pipe caused the spill. In the same year, an oil tanker leaked in South Africa affecting hundreds of Penguins, and in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, an oil ship tanker spilled gallons of diesel. In the year 2002, a Spanish oil carrier spilled more than 15 million gallons of fuel at the Coast of Spain. Most recently, in the month of April the year 2010, there was a major leak of oil into the Gulf of Mexico (United States Louisiana) after an explosion at a drilling rig occurred. All this indicate the implications and severity of oil spills in the 21st Century. This report shall highlight the concepts of oil spills, industrial hygiene and toxicology. Oils Spills and Industrial Hygiene Oil spills refers to discharging of liquid petroleum by products and products into the air, land and water thus causing air, land and water pollution respectively (Walker, 2004, p. 4). Oils spills are caused by spillage of oil tankers, leakages in oil pipes, and spillage from offshore drilling, explosions of drilling rigs, natural oil seeps through the earth’s fault lines and oil tankers involved in accidents. Since oil spills affect adversely humans, animals and plants, take time and accrue so many resources to clean up, there are industrial hygiene policies and regulations that are in place to protect animals, plants and humans from harm (Boss & Day, 2001, p. 5). Industrial hygiene constitutes of predicting, expecting, detecting, assessing and appraising, directing and managing hazards for workers. This is important in recognizing; analysing, managing and preventing oil spills (Nims, 1999, p. 177). Industrial hygiene is primarily used to monitor and protect people from getting into contact or eliminating contact with hazardous elements that may cause diseases, health impairment and normal functioning of people. By monitoring and analysing the environment, one is able to identify severity of exposure to oil spills and implement control mechanisms and practices (Caputo, 2010, p. 11). Those who involve themselves in industrial hygiene functions are called industrial hygienists (Garret, et al., 1988, p. 127). They not only predict, identify and manage risks and hazards to people, but help in establish safety standards and interpreting policies, guidelines and regulations put in place in occupational safety and health programs (Boss & Day, 2001, p. 253). They are charged with the responsibility of doing inspection, examining and scrutinizing how various harmful health hazards affect people, and suggest appropriate control measures. When dealing with oil spills, the industrial hygienist identifies controls within which the spills can be cleaned up with maximum effectiveness and minimal destruction to marine life, people living in the environs and those controlling and cleaning up the oil spills (Patty, & Battigelli, 1982). Moreover, they suggest ways in which risk of contact and exposure with harmful spills can be reduced or eliminated (Walker, 2004, p. 18). Control can be achieved by first understanding the type of liquid petroleum products spilled, the weather conditions present, the characteristics of the waters on which oil is spilled; that is the warmth of the waters and its ability to hasten oil biodegradation and evaporation, and the location of the oil spills. When the oil spills are not huge and poisonous enough to pollute the shores, marine life and the beaches, industrial hygienists advice for the oil spill to be left alone to disperse on its own. Natural oil dispersal is facilitated by environmental weather conditions like waves and currents, tides, sun and wind, which hasten evaporation processes (Caputo, 2010, p. 9). For heavy oils which do not evaporate as easily and in calm waters, it is advisable to use skimmers and booms to prevent spreading the spill to unaffected areas or areas which may cause harm to marine and shore life. Booms that are primarily made of buoyant and inflatable materials are made in such a way that they can prevent under-water oil slicks from passing below, and are high enough to prevent tidal push over of oil slicks. Skimmers on the other hand, are used to collect floating oils into tanks (Walker, 2004, p. 21). Another control method that can be used to clean up oil spills is the use of dispersants. Dispersants are able to breakdown petroleum hydrocarbons thus acting as a catalyst of oil biodegradation. Dispersants are used sparingly, since they are not appropriate for all oil spills, it depends on the time the spillage happened, environmental conditions present and sites of oil spills. According to Jane Walker in her book Oil Spills, she states “Dispersants facilitate biodegradation by reducing the surface tension that stops oil and water from mixing. Small droplets of oil, which are formed helps, promote rapid dilution of the oil by water movements. This formation of droplets increases the oil surface area, thus, increasing the exposure to natural evaporation and bacterial action” (Walker, 2004, p. 7). Additionally, since oil is lighter than water, oil spills can be sucked into vacuum like machines, can be burnt, and using hydrophobic polymers, to solidify floating oils which, (solidified oils) are less lethal to marine life and do not emit harmful gases and vapours (Powell, 2002, p. 58). Finally, oil spills can be cleaned up by introducing micro and macro organisms, nitrogenous and phosphoric components and bacteria (aerobes and anaerobes) into the spilt oils in order to speed up the process of oil degradation (Nims, 1999, p. 325). This process is called Bioremediation. The Bioremediation process is influenced by the type of nitrogenous and phosphoric components used and the type of soil where the bacteria have been placed. Effects of Oil Spills if not Controlled When oil spills occur in shores and beaches, they restrict tourists and holidaymakers to enjoy the serenity and richness of both marine and shore life. This leads to decrease in foreign exchange and revenues earned from foreign and domestic tourism respectively. Birds that are affected by oil spills are unable to fly, are unable to fend for themselves and are prone to kidney, digestive and liver failure hence they dehydrate unless people get involved. For sea animals like fishes, and seals among others, they suffocate, and their insulating capabilities are minimized and finally they die (Powell, 2002, p. 47). More often than not, when these marine animals consume these oils they are poisoned and die of dehydration. Since sunlight is obscured, marine plants like planktons and corals do not thrive, hence a breakdown in marine food chains. People, who consume seafoods that are contaminated with split oil pollutants, are susceptible to succumb to lung disorders and other complex health impairments. For people working on intervening for animals caught up in the oil spills, surrounding communities and those controlling and managing oil spills, industrial hygiene is important (Powell, 2002, p. 29). This is imperative in providing them with protective gears, using control measures that less exposes them to harm, avoiding consumption of contaminated seafoods, regular inspection, maintenance and repair of oil tankers, drills, and pipes to avoid leaks, explosion and spills and implementing safe oil handling practices. For protective gears, one can use gloves, helmets, inhalers, respirators and masks, protective clothes and boots. These gears should be continuously maintained and repaired, fitting and refitting and replacing worn out ones to avoid sipping of oil and contact with harmful fumes and elements of oil spilt (Boss & Day, 2001, p. 183). Oils Spills and Toxicology Toxicology refers to evaluating and understanding the unfavourable effects of elements and compounds on living things like people, animals and plants (Yu, 2005, p. 3). Toxicology analyses and assesses systems of poisoning, recognizes the signs and symptoms of a living organisms that have been poisoned, recognizes cases of poisoning and establishes treatment, control and management measures and techniques to prevent and stop poisoning. When handling oil spills, toxicology is important in form of environmental toxicology or what scientists refer to as EnTox (David & Welbourn, 2002, p. 524). Environmental toxicology of oil spills involves analysing and perceiving the negative effects of fumes, gases, vapour and elements on people, animals and plants, which are emitted by the oil spills into the ecosystem, be it on land, air and water (Powell, 2002, p. 37). This analysis is carried out by conducting laboratory tests or fieldwork. Environmental toxicology in oil spills helps in highlighting the hazardous effects of split petroleum- based products and establishing ways and methods in which biological and ecological structures can be protected against threats and risks arising from oil spills (Yu, 2005, p. 240). Moreover, environmental toxicology on oil spills help in researching, bioremediation, reducing and managing spills, assessing environmental risks, thus one can be able to predict, handle, control and prevent oil spillage, and if it occurs, to minimize effects and exposure to biological and ecological structures (Luttrell, et al., 2008, p. 373). According to David Wright and Pamela Welbourn in their book Environmental toxicology, they state that “Environmental toxicology uses various sciences and concepts to identify the source, course, transformation, outcomes, and risks of pollutants on the biological and ecological structures” (David & Welbourn, 2002, p. 411). Through environmental toxicology, one learns that two different animals like fishes and seals living in similar aquatic habitats, consume food differently and hence have different levels of exposure to pollutants. This influences ways and techniques that are most appropriate in cleaning up oil spills. That is, allow for effective choice of whether to use natural oil dispersal method, biodegradation, use of skimmers and booms, use of dispersants, vacuuming, burning, solidifying and bioremediation (Patty, & Battigelli, 1982). Through environmental toxicology, one learns how oil spills limit insulating abilities of birds, breakdown of aquatic food chains, damages done on the tissues of kidney, digestive system and lungs upon inhaling and ingesting oil- contaminated foods (Yu, 2005, p. 300). By learning so, one is able to know techniques and methods in which prevention of ingestion of oil- contaminated foods by animals can be done, how minimized insulating and buoyancy abilities in birds can be increased and implementation of other preventive measures (Luttrell, et al., 2008, p. 417). It goes without saying the important role that environmental toxicology in handling oil spills is in identifying shores, beaches and reefs, which are critical to marine life, before an oil spill happens (Patty, & Battigelli, 1982). This is done for the purpose of strategically planning, and prioritizing preventive measures and strategies in cleaning up (Yu, 2005, p. 293). By making prior preventive measures, effects and harm on biological and ecological structures are protected or greatly reduced. Among preventive measures of harmful effects of split oil includes inspection of sea foods meant for human consumption, to ensure they are not contaminated with oils, prevention of emission of harmful vapours and fumes from oil spills does not pollutes the air, water and soil adversely (Patty, & Battigelli, 1982). Moreover, preventing actual oil spills by routine maintenance and repairing oil tankers, drilling rigs, pipes to ensure they work effectively thus reducing the chance of leaks, explosions, spills and accidents. Moreover, develop oil tankers with double hulls, which minimize the amount and rate of oil spills if the tanker collides. Conclusion Oil spills that constitutes of liquid petroleum by products and products discharged into water, thus causing water, land and air pollution. Oil spills occur out of explosion of drilling rigs, spillage of oil from ship and oil tankers, oil tankers colliding or being involved in accidents, leakage of oil from oil pipes and natural sipping of oil through the earth’s fault lines. Oil spills causes destruction of plants, animals and is attributed to health impairment in human. From this, industrial hygiene and toxicology is required to help identify and implement best preventive measures and controls of oil spills. Industrial hygiene entails prediction, expectation, detection, assessment and appraisal, directing and management of health hazards for people especially workers. It helps in recognition, analysis, management and prevention of oil spills. Environmental toxicology on the other hand, highlights the hazardous effects of split petroleum- based products and establishing ways and methods in which biological and ecological structures can be protected against threats and risks arising from oil spills. Moreover, environmental toxicology on oil spills help in researching, bioremediation, reducing and managing spills, assessing environmental risks, thus one can be able to predict, handle, control and prevent oil spillage, and if it occurs, to minimize effects and exposure to biological and ecological structures. References Boss, Martha, & Day Dennis. Air sampling and industrial hygiene engineering. Lewis Publishers, 2001. Caputo, Christine. Oil Spills. Mankato: Capstone Press, 2010. Garret, Jack, Cralley, Lewis, & Cralley, Lester. Industrial Hygiene Management. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, 1988. Luttrell, William, Jederberg, Warren, & Still, Kenneth. Toxicology Principles for the Industrial Hygienist. AIHA. 2008. Nims, Debra. Basics of Industrial Hygiene; Preserving the Legacy. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, 1999. Patty, Frank., & Battigelli, Mario. Patty’s Industrial hygiene and toxicology, Volume 1. Wiley. 1982. Powell, Jillian. Oil Spills; Our planet in peril! New York City: Bridgestone Books, 2002. Walker, Jane. Oil Spills. Manhattan: Stargazer Books, 2004. Wright, David, & Welbourn, Pamela. Environmental Toxicology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2002. Yu, Ming. Environmental Toxicology: Biological and Health Effects of Pollutants. Sidney: CRC Press, 2005. Read More

They not only predict, identify and manage risks and hazards to people, but help in establish safety standards and interpreting policies, guidelines and regulations put in place in occupational safety and health programs (Boss & Day, 2001, p. 253). They are charged with the responsibility of doing inspection, examining and scrutinizing how various harmful health hazards affect people, and suggest appropriate control measures. When dealing with oil spills, the industrial hygienist identifies controls within which the spills can be cleaned up with maximum effectiveness and minimal destruction to marine life, people living in the environs and those controlling and cleaning up the oil spills (Patty, & Battigelli, 1982).

Moreover, they suggest ways in which risk of contact and exposure with harmful spills can be reduced or eliminated (Walker, 2004, p. 18). Control can be achieved by first understanding the type of liquid petroleum products spilled, the weather conditions present, the characteristics of the waters on which oil is spilled; that is the warmth of the waters and its ability to hasten oil biodegradation and evaporation, and the location of the oil spills. When the oil spills are not huge and poisonous enough to pollute the shores, marine life and the beaches, industrial hygienists advice for the oil spill to be left alone to disperse on its own.

Natural oil dispersal is facilitated by environmental weather conditions like waves and currents, tides, sun and wind, which hasten evaporation processes (Caputo, 2010, p. 9). For heavy oils which do not evaporate as easily and in calm waters, it is advisable to use skimmers and booms to prevent spreading the spill to unaffected areas or areas which may cause harm to marine and shore life. Booms that are primarily made of buoyant and inflatable materials are made in such a way that they can prevent under-water oil slicks from passing below, and are high enough to prevent tidal push over of oil slicks.

Skimmers on the other hand, are used to collect floating oils into tanks (Walker, 2004, p. 21). Another control method that can be used to clean up oil spills is the use of dispersants. Dispersants are able to breakdown petroleum hydrocarbons thus acting as a catalyst of oil biodegradation. Dispersants are used sparingly, since they are not appropriate for all oil spills, it depends on the time the spillage happened, environmental conditions present and sites of oil spills. According to Jane Walker in her book Oil Spills, she states “Dispersants facilitate biodegradation by reducing the surface tension that stops oil and water from mixing.

Small droplets of oil, which are formed helps, promote rapid dilution of the oil by water movements. This formation of droplets increases the oil surface area, thus, increasing the exposure to natural evaporation and bacterial action” (Walker, 2004, p. 7). Additionally, since oil is lighter than water, oil spills can be sucked into vacuum like machines, can be burnt, and using hydrophobic polymers, to solidify floating oils which, (solidified oils) are less lethal to marine life and do not emit harmful gases and vapours (Powell, 2002, p. 58). Finally, oil spills can be cleaned up by introducing micro and macro organisms, nitrogenous and phosphoric components and bacteria (aerobes and anaerobes) into the spilt oils in order to speed up the process of oil degradation (Nims, 1999, p. 325). This process is called Bioremediation.

The Bioremediation process is influenced by the type of nitrogenous and phosphoric components used and the type of soil where the bacteria have been placed. Effects of Oil Spills if not Controlled When oil spills occur in shores and beaches, they restrict tourists and holidaymakers to enjoy the serenity and richness of both marine and shore life. This leads to decrease in foreign exchange and revenues earned from foreign and domestic tourism respectively. Birds that are affected by oil spills are unable to fly, are unable to fend for themselves and are prone to kidney, digestive and liver failure hence they dehydrate unless people get involved.

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