Vegetable Oil Spills - Pollution Or Over-Cautiousness?

Abstract

Vegetable oil spills are relatively uncommon compared to those of mineral oil in the marine environment. Evidence from the spillages that have occurred indicate that they can cause the death of animals in the vicinity through suffocation, inhibition of feeding and other non-specific toxic effects. Smothering of the intertidal area may lead to the development of anoxic conditions with associated changes in species diversity. Polymerisation appears to be a key process in determining the persistence of these oils in the intertidal region. Experiments have indicated that indigenous bacteria are capable of degrading the oil until it polymerises and work is being directed towards determining mechanisms to aid in the degradation process. in conclusion, vegetable oils are pollutants although the risk to the marine environment is small but that does not mean we should not be prepared for such events.

Key Words:

• Vegetable oils
• animal effects
• polymerisation
• degradation