HELCOM Actions to Eliminate Illegal and Accidental Oil Pollution from Ships in the Baltic Sea

Author(s):  
Anne Christine Brusendorff ◽  
Samuli Korpinen ◽  
Laura Meski ◽  
Monika Stankiewicz
2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 300185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Safonova ◽  
Swetlana König

The stability of an ecosystem strongly depends on the biodiversity of its microorganisms population. The network of interactions between microorganisms provides a flexible response to various changes of the coenotic equilibrium. This equilibrium changes drastically if such a network is damaged by oil spills or any other kind of pollution, representing a danger to the existence of a whole ecosystem. Bioremediation is a method employing microorganisms to remove pollutants and to restore the ecology of populations. Understandably due to its nature, this approach is considered to be the most gentle and safe one what makes it very attractive. Our focus was to improve the efficiency of the treatment of oil pollution in the Baltic Sea. As a part of “BioBind” project, we aimed to create artificial associations of alkanotrophic bacteria and phototrophic partners (algae or cyanobacteria) and to use them as an effective tool for the removal of oil spills. In summer and winter 2011–2012, we isolated 157 strains of both algae and cyanobacteria and 199 bacteria. The samples were taken from four different places of the Baltic Sea in the areas of Rostock, St. Petersburg, Kiel and Sassnitz. After the screening, we have selected 19 strains of alkanotrophyc bacteria and 23 strains of green algae and cyanobacteria showing resistance to the pollutants. The screening was performed in media containing an oil, phenol and phenanthrene at low temperatures (4°C and 10°C) and different salt concentrations. All selected species of bacteria belonged to the genus Rhodococcus. Further selection was aimed at finding combinations of bacterial strains which show an increased degrading capacity and exceeding the one of the originally isolated microorganisms. As a result, we have selected associations with the degradation of crude oil (at the concentration of 2 g/L) with a degradation rate from 25% up to 35%. Furthermore, we have discovered that the presence of the phototrophic microorganisms in these associations resulted to a positive modest effect with regard to the efficiency of the system by several percent. Our result proves clearly the concept that bioremediation represents an effective mean to clean up oil spills. This is remarkable that the system also shows plasticity and can be improved by creating different variations of the microorganisms constituting it. Thus bioremedation provides scope for further development. The selected artificial associations can be recommended for the purification of oil pollution in the Baltic Sea.


Baltica ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (special) ◽  
pp. 3-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergej Suzdalev ◽  
Saulius Gulbinskas ◽  
Vadim Sivkov ◽  
Tatiana Bukanova

The Baltic Sea is facing exceptionally intensive marine traffic. Oil products in addition to other cargo types are being transported in this marine area. Therefore, the risk of potential oil pollution is very high. Although, the Baltic Sea has not experienced catastrophic oil spills, there have been spills causing serious environmental damage in the region. Construction of oil terminals and planned growth of Russian oil export through Baltic Sea ports along with the operation of large oil enterprises and oil drilling platforms make maritime safety a priority task for the Baltic Sea region. The publications collected in present Baltica Journal Special Issue set sights on the improvement of oil spill management in the South–Eastern Baltic Sea as well as stimulate the appearance of new transnational response agreements in the region.


Baltica ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (special) ◽  
pp. 9-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Bulycheva ◽  
Igor Kuzmenko ◽  
Vadim Sivkov

The annual average features of the spatial distribution of oil pollution at the sea surface in the south–eastern part of the Baltic Sea were determined for the first time. It was shown that the most polluted areas are the seawaters west of the Sambian Peninsula and Vistula Spit, including the coastal zone that is connected to the Baltiysk, Gdansk, and Gdynia ports. The sea surface near the oilfield Kravtsovskoye D-6 (Russia) and oil terminal Būtingė (Lithuania), as well as the coastal zone near the Curonian Spit, do not suffer from oil pollution. A lower estimation of the annual average amount of oil products at the sea surface was performed. The lack of correlation between the location of the oil slicks and main navigation routes by Automatic Identification System (AIS) was explained by the infrequent but large spillages from ships that occur outside of the main traffic lanes. A significant contribution to the oil pollution of the sea surface from nonconventional ships not equipped with AIS was discovered.


Author(s):  
Nikita A. Aseev ◽  
Valeriy I. Agoshkov ◽  
Vladimir B. Zalesny ◽  
Robert Aps ◽  
Pentti Kujala ◽  
...  

Boreas ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Christiansen ◽  
Helmar Kunzendorf ◽  
Kay-Christian Emeis ◽  
Rudolf Endler ◽  
Ulrich Struck ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
pp. 136-146
Author(s):  
K. Liuhto

Statistical data on reserves, production and exports of Russian oil are provided in the article. The author pays special attention to the expansion of opportunities of sea oil transportation by construction of new oil terminals in the North-West of the country and first of all the largest terminal in Murmansk. In his opinion, one of the main problems in this sphere is prevention of ecological accidents in the process of oil transportation through the Baltic sea ports.


Author(s):  
Angelina E. Shatalova ◽  
Uriy A. Kublitsky ◽  
Dmitry A. Subetto ◽  
Anna V. Ludikova ◽  
Alar Rosentau ◽  
...  

The study of paleogeography of lakes is an actual and important direction in modern science. As part of the study of lakes in the North-West of the Karelian Isthmus, this analysis will establish the dynamics of salinity of objects, which will allow to reconstruct changes in the level of the Baltic Sea in the Holocene.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document