The pollutant group commonly associated with oil spills in oceans is ______________.
petroleum products
An oil spill occurs when crude oil or refined fuel is accidentally released into the sea — for example from a ruptured tanker, a leaking offshore drilling platform, or a burst pipeline. The pollutant group involved is therefore petroleum products, that is, hydrocarbons such as crude oil, diesel, gasoline (petrol) and other oily fractions.
Why petroleum products are so damaging in the ocean:
- Oil is less dense than water and does not mix with it, so it spreads into a thin floating slick that blocks sunlight and hinders the exchange of oxygen between air and water, lowering the dissolved oxygen available to marine life.
- It coats the feathers and fur of seabirds and mammals, destroying their insulation and buoyancy and often causing death.
- It poisons and smothers fish, plankton and coral reefs, disrupting the food chain.
- Being chemically stable, it can persist for years, contaminating shorelines and sediments.
The other options are pollutants associated with different situations, not with marine oil spills:
- Agricultural pesticides and chemical fertilizers are mainly runoff pollutants of soil, rivers and groundwater; fertilizers in particular cause nutrient enrichment.
- Synthetic detergents contribute to eutrophication and foaming in freshwater bodies.
None of these defines an oil spill, so petroleum products is the correct answer.
Similar Questions
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The term 'smog' is a combination of ____________.
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The primary method of managing biodegradable domestic waste after collection is _________________.
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Important Questions from Ecology and Environment
The Imperial Forest Research Institute was set up in 1906 in:
Buxa Tiger Reserve is located in:
Which day is celebrated as the World Environment Day?
Which Indian products are issued with eco - mark?
Degradation of global environment has not resulted in one of the following.
