Other Ocean Pollutants

Question 1

What is pollution?

Answer 1

When human activity adds a substance to the environment that affects organisms inadvertently and at a greater rate than can be rendered harmless.

Question 2

What is point source pollution?

Answer 2

Pollution released from a single clearly identifiable location.

Question 3

What is non source pollution?

Answer 3

Release of pollution from several, widely dispersed locations.

Question 4

What is the main source of pollution? How much does it account for?

Answer 4

Land based pollution such as chemical waste, garbage, sewage.

Accounts for 80%.

Question 5

What does land based pollution consist of? Where do they come from?

Answer 5

Heavy metals.

Comes from mining waste, leaching from landfill sites, industrial wastewater, urban runoff from roads.

Question 6

LB: What does heavy metal release to oceans?

Answer 6

Heavy metal ions.

Question 7

LB: Why are heavy metal ions so bad for the environment?

Answer 7

1. Toxic.
2. Can cause cancer/ organ damage.
3. May bioaccumulate in biological systems.

Question 8

LB: What happens if heavy metal ions are consumed by humans?

Answer 8

Can harm neurological and reproductive systems even if consumed in small amounts.

Question 9

LB: Uses of storm overflows?

Answer 9

Relief valves when the sewerage system is at risk of being overwhelmed such as during heavy downpours. –> Used to release excess rainwater and wastewater into rivers and seas.

Question 10

LB: What has Ofwat set as a target for sewage spills?

Answer 10

Maximum of 20 spills a year by 2025 for all companies.

Question 11

LB: How much was Southern Water fined for dumping sewage? (2021)

Answer 11

£90 million.

Question 12

LB: Who manages outfalls in the UK? How many are there?

Answer 12

More than 18000 are managed by National Highways.

Question 13

LB: What do outfalls discharge?

Answer 13

Heavy metals, hydrocarbons, chemicals, microplastics.

Question 14

LB: How many outfalls in the UK are classified as high risk of pollution?

Answer 14

More than 1200.

Question 15

LB: Issue with outfalls around the river Kennet?

Answer 15

There is a cluster of 24 around the river + tributaries.

This leads to a high level of heavy metals and hydrocarbons detected, associated with road runoffs. –> Many chemicals harm marine life and are carcinogenic (causing cancer).

Question 16

INDUSTRIAL SOURCE POLLUTANT: How many tonnes of oil have been spilled into the UK waters by oil and gas?

Answer 16

Just under 13000 tonnes of oil in the last 5 years.

Question 17

IS: Where is oil released and accumulated?

Answer 17

Released in waste water and cumulatively leads to large volumes being released in the sea.

Question 18

IS:Pollutant issue with oil rigs?

Answer 18

Exploration, drilling and decommissioning of oil rigs releases toxic chemicals such as PAHs and mercury.

Question 19

IS: Impact of PAHs and mercury from oil rigs?

Answer 19

Can cause death in marine organisms. PAHs are carciogenic.

Question 20

IS:Spatial and temporal impact of drilling muds?

Answer 20

Can extend over 2 km from the oil well, with ecological impacts on the seafloor extending to 200-300 m from the source.

May persist in the deep sea for many years and likely to last longer in fragile ecosystems.

Question 21

P&B Link: Why can it be difficult to manage land based pollution?

Answer 21

1. State sovereignty.
2. Right of state to pursue own economic and social developments.

Question 22

P&B Link: What did 1982 Law of the Sea Convention do? Is it effective?

Answer 22

Prescribed certain obligations with respects to land-based sources of pollution. –> Largely ineffective on its own.

Question 23

P&B Link: What does UNCLOS article 194 do?

Answer 23

This directs states to take all measures to prevent, reduce and control pollution from any source for the marine environment.

To ensure that pollution arising from its activies does not spread beyond areas of its sovereignty.

Question 24

P&B Link: What does UNCLOS article 207 do?

Answer 24

Calls upon states to adopt laws and regulations to prevent, reduce and control pollution of marine environment, “taking into account” internationally agreed rules, standards and recommended practices.

Question 25

P&B Link: What does UNCLOS article 213 do?

Answer 25

Calls upon states to enforce laws and regulations adopted as following article 207, but to also take other necessary measures.

Question 26

P&B Link: Why are obligations from UNCLOS weaker about land-based pollution?

Answer 26

Weaker than other activities causing pollution. States are merely called upon to "take into account" international standards and practices. --> Each state can judge what measures to take and if they should be more or less stringent.

Question 27

P&B Link: One successful regional agreement?

Answer 27

Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic. (OSPAR). --> Between 15 governments and the EU.

Question 28

P&B Link: Why are regional agreements more likely to be successful?

Answer 28

1. Easier to regulate pollution from vessels than land-based sources which come from a variety of sources and produce a variety of substances.

Question 29

P&B Link: Outline MARPOL? (1973)

Answer 29

Allows for untreated sewage discharge to take place from beyond the EEZ.

Question 30

What does pollution from fossil fuel at sea produce?

Answer 30

CO2, Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides. Shipping of all types relies on fossil fuels for power. --> CO2 causes ocean acidification.

Question 31

CS: Emission scale from cargo ships?

Answer 31

GLOBAL scale as shipping distances are very long. Mainly in the Northern hemisphere where there is a higher concentration of busy shipping lanes or around major ports..

Question 32

CS: How many ocean going cargo vessels are there?

Answer 32

100,00 ocean going cargo vessels.

Question 33

CS: What fuel do cargo ships use? Why is this polluting?

Answer 33

Bunker fuel used. This contains 3500 more sulphur than road diesel. It also creates sulphuric acid when mixed with rain, a component of acid rain. --> Damages forests and destoys aquatic life.

Question 34

CS: How much sulphur do the largest cargo vessels emit?

Answer 34

5000 tonnes a year, sea transport is resposible for 9% of annual SO2 emissions.

Question 35

CS: Figures for cargo and pollution at Long Beach Port, Los Angeles?

Answer 35

Second busiest port in the US/ 10th in the world in tonnage of cargo and goods. --> 6-7 million containers move through annually. Air pollution in the immediate vicinity is 2-3 times higher than further away.

Question 36

Fuel combustion?: Outline pollution from Southampton Port?

Answer 36

UK's 2nd largest container port and Europe;s busiest cruise terminal. Up to 5 large cruise ships can be berthed at one time, running engines 24/7. Breaches WHO air quality guidelines. Pollution leads to increased asthma and heart diseases.

Question 37

FC: What type of engine do older diesel ships use? Impact?

Answer 37

Diesel engines. --> Emits Nitrogen oxide, an air pollutant linked to lung cancer and respiratory disease.

Question 38

FC: Issue around enforcement of sulphur fuel.

Answer 38

1. There are regulations close to limit to low levels close to shore in US/ EU. BUT none at high seas.

Question 39

FC: How much sulphur does Harmony of the Seas emit?

Answer 39

It emits more sulphur than several million cars.

Question 40

SW + B: What is bilge water?

Answer 40

Water that does not drain off the side of the deck but drains not the bilge.

Question 41

SW + B: What does contaminated bilge water contain?

Answer 41

Oil, gasoline, chemicals etc.

Question 42

SW + B: How much sewage weekly does a 3000 person cruise generate.

Answer 42

210,000 gallons.

Question 43

SW + B: How should sewage be treated?

Answer 43

Separating solid and liquid waste. Solid waste should be burnt, liquid waste released back.

Question 44

SW + B: How much sewage is dumped into the ocean annually?

Answer 44

1 billion gallons annually?

Question 45

SW + B: What % of food is waste on cruise ships? Where does it go?

Answer 45

30%. Ends up being discharged into the sea after mixed with water and liquified.

Question 46

SW + B: What did a Norwegian cruise Line do in 2002 to do with sewage and bilge water?

Answer 46

Fined $1 million for falsifiying records to hide illegal dumping of hundreds of thousands of gallons of oily bilge water and raw sewage near Miami waters for years.

Question 47

SW + B: Two ways sewage and bilge water can impact ocean systems?

Answer 47

1. Sewage can lead to oxygen depletion. --> Bacteria in ocean feed on sewage, grow in number and respire, using up nearby oxygen. 2. Accumulation of chemicals. --> BIOACCUMULATION as organism's bodies cannot break or expel the chemical. These chemicals move up the food chain and reach dangerous levels in apex preadators such as whales..

Question 48

Radioactive waste: Why did this industry expand? Where and why was waste disposed?

Answer 48

Expanded after second world war (medical, energy production, industrial purposes). Disposed large quantities of nuclear waste in oceans as they believed the radioactivity would be dispersed throughout the oceans.

Question 49

RW: How many countries disposed radioactive waste in oceans? When?

Answer 49

13 countries. 1946-1993.

Question 50

RW: Impacts from radioactive waste?

Answer 50

Can accumulate in the marine food chain. (Found in seals and porpoises in the Irish sea. Can ionise cells, damage/ kill cells. --> Potential mutations or cancer.

Question 50

RW:How many nuclear submarines have sunk or scuttled? Why is this bad?

Answer 50

8. Sea water corrodes the hull. --> Future release of radioactive waste into the ocean.

Question 51

RW: Spatial extent of radioactive waste in the Kara Sea?

Answer 51

There is a Russian K-27 nuclear submarine in 33m of water. The ocean can be further exposed to pollution overtime as corrosive seawater will eventually release highly radioactive material into the sea.

Question 52

RW: Impact of radiation in Fukushima?

Answer 52

After the 2011 EQ/ Tsunami --> Strict ban on catching and consuming marine life in the immediate vicinity of the power plant.

Question 53

RW: How long does radioactive waste as a pollutant?

Answer 53

A long time. U-238 Uranium (majority of material in nuclear fuel) has a half life of 4 billion years. --> Relatively safe though when ingested/ inhaled can increae risk of lung/ bone cancer. Nuclear waste can take up to half a million years to reach safe levels.

Question 54

Algal blooms: What chemical do fertilisers have in them? Where are they used?

Answer 54

Nitrogen-based. Used in agricultural operations. -> Eventually ends up migrating to the sea.

Question 55

AB: Impacts of chemicals from fertilisers?

Answer 55

1. Nitrates + Phosphates create rich 'soup' of nutrients which stimulate the blooms of algae. --> Rapid growth of toxic species such as cyanobacteria (kills marine life). This leads to the decomposition of the dead fish consuming oxygen --> Creates oxygen-poor dead zones causing more deaths. 2. Blooms of non toxic algae --> Consumes oxygen as they die and decompose + clogs the gills of fish/ invertebrates.

Question 56

AB: Where is the largest dead zone?

Answer 56

Largest oxygen-poor dead zone due to algal bloom is in the Gulf of Mexico due to nutrient pollution from the Mississippi river basin.

Question 57

AB: Causes of algal blooms?

Answer 57

1. Increased input of synthetic fertiliser in commercial farming. --> Enters rivers and oceans. 2. Before 2000, large scale toxic algal bloom was rare off the Californian coast. Changed after 2000: Now annual bloom, with toxins 500 increasing 500 times per volume of water. 3. Baltic Sea Blooms: 3/4 nutrients from agriculture. --> Decline in harmless phytoplankton but increase in toxic species. Global warming has led to milder winters + more rainfall ---> More runoff washing nutrients + higher sea surface temps. --> Promotes algae growth.

Question 58

AB: Implications of algal blooms and growth?

Answer 58

1. Drinking water contaminated by bloom can cause abnormal liver function, diarrhoea, vomiting, dizziness for humans. 2. Toxins can kill species such as fish, turtles and dolphins. 3. Particular species can make shellfish lethal, causing fisheries to shut down until the bloom subsides, impacting local economies. --> On the U.S. West Coast a toxic bloom shut down the fisheries in 2015. Dungeness crab fishery lost $97.5 million in landings compared to the previous year. Coastal communities in Washington lost an estimated $40 million in tourism spending.