What are some of the consequences of oil spills?
Waterborne oil pollution is a three dimensional event. When oil spills, it spreads outward and sinks downward. Some of the released petroleum compounds are carcinogenic and mutagenic, and can remain in the waterborne environment for more than 20 years. Marine life forms that escape the initial covering and smothering phase of an oil spill run the risk of slow poisoning by the toxic compounds within the oil.
