NATURAL FATE OF OIL ON SEA

Although millions of tons of oil have been spilt on to the sea in the last half-century, the surface of the ocean still remains relatively clean, for certain natural processes occur which cause the disappearance of the oil. These include evaporation, the formation of emulsions, sinking, auto-oxidation, and oxidation by micro-organisms. The last is probably the most effective, and destroys oil at the rate of some hundreds of grams per cubic metre of contaminated ocean per year. In this article an account is given of the sources of oil pollution, the steps that are being taken to reduce it, and the manner in which it is dispersed and destroyed by natural agencies. © 1968.