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What is the best way to clean up a major oil spill at sea?

What do YOU think?

See also: Oil Disasters

Basically, the best way is to combine possible ways of cleaning oil spill. In the long term damage to ecosystems from oil spills is minimal. Recovery is faster if you let the oil dispersed naturally. Bacterial decomposition of hydrocarbons, which contributes to the destruction of a continuous film by the wind and waves, in warm and temperate climate is completed in 3-4 years. In cold climates, such as in Alaska, where in 1989 crashed tanker «Exxon Valdez», the negative effect lasts longer because of reduced bacterial activity. Application of surface-active dispersing agent accelerates the process, but these substances are often exacerbated environmental damage because the toxic and difficult to biodegrade. The results showed that the discreet but constant leakage of petroleum products, such as coastal refineries and terminals, dangerous to the marine and intertidal ecosystems than capture of headlines of major accidents.

An oil spill is a release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term often refers to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters. Oil spills include releases of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells, as well as spills of refined petroleum products (such as gasoline, diesel) and their by-products, and heavier fuels used by large ships such as bunker fuel, or the spill of any oily refuse or waste oil. Spills may take months or even years to clean up

Bioremediation use of microorganisms or biological agents to break down or remove oil.