Deepwater spill pollution lingers on seabed
Deepwater spill pollution lingers on seabed
10/06/16
Dirty oil residues from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico remained for years on the seabed, killing wildlife despite large-scale cleanup efforts, a study has revealed.
The study found that in January 2011, nine months after the spill, large patches of oil residue still covered the ocean floor around the spill site. The area had previously been declared clean after the surface of the surrounding waters had been found clean of oil.
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on 20 April 2010 due to human error, causing around 5 million barrels of oil to spill out — with months going by until the leak was capped near the ocean floor.
The study, which was published on 30 May in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found an overabundance of phytoplankton between August and September 2010, whose origin in this area is unknown. The researchers propose that oil particles clung to algae and mud around the drill site before sinking to the floor.
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