Oil Spill In The Gulf Essay

Oil is a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon substance it has a high carbon and hydrogen content and are usually flammable and slippery. Oil is used in food, fuel, lubrication, and the manufacture of paints, plastics, and other materials.

Most of the oil is drilled out from under the sea floor. Offshore oil in the Gulf of Mexico is a major source of oil in the United States. Some of the major areas that oil is drilled in the United States is in the western and central Gulf of Mexico which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, of the United States.

Oil spills are fatal for plants and animals. The oil is toxic and it can cause a massive loss of species that live in and around the sea. Oil spill penetrates into the feathers of birds,

Oil dispersants works a bit like dishwashing liquid. They are both are made up mainly of “surfactant molecules” which are molecules that have a hydrophilic (water-loving) head that is attracted to water molecules and a hydrophobic (water-hating) tail that repels water and attaches itself to oil and grease. Because of this it means that the oil is broken up into tiny droplets that float around in the water. Breaking down the oil at sea into small droplets makes them disperse into the sea naturally from the waves. Then hopefully the naturally occurring bacteria would then dissolve the droplets and the dispersant would quickly biodegrade. The dispersants are usually applied to the spill using small planes or ships. Although scientists argue that modern dispersants are less toxic than ones in the past but they help to spread the oil more widely into the environment. Dispersants do help to stop the oil hitting beaches and coating animals living on the surface of the water, but animals on the seafloor will experience more pollution. Oil droplets that get to the seafloor tend to be the same size as food particles for filter-feeding