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2014 | Buch

Oil Pollution in the Baltic Sea

herausgegeben von: Andrey G. Kostianoy, Olga Yu Lavrova

Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Buchreihe : The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry

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SUCHEN

Über dieses Buch

This thorough review is based on observational satellite, airborne and in-situ data, scientific literature and technical reports, as well as the substantial experience of the authors, who hail from several Baltic Sea countries. They pay special attention to national practices, HELCOM and EMSA CleanSeaNet activities in oil pollution monitoring, and show different applications of the Seatrack Web model for oil spill drift prediction and the identification of illegal polluters, as well as for environmental risk assessment. Furthermore, some of the results on satellite monitoring of the Nord Stream gas pipeline construction in the Gulf of Finland are presented. This volume addresses the needs of specialists working in different fields of marine, environmental, and remote sensing sciences. It is a useful handbook on oil pollution for international and governmental agencies, as well as for policy makers who plan and manage oil and gas projects, the construction of ports and terminals, shipping, fishery, recreation, and tourist activities in the Baltic Sea. It also offers graduate and undergraduate students in marine and environmental sciences a valuable resource and reference work on the subject.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter
Introduction
Abstract
This book presents a review of knowledge on oil pollution in the Baltic Sea. The publication is based on observational satellite, airborne and in-situ data, scientific literature, technical reports, and long-standing experience of authors of the chapters from several Baltic Sea countries in this field of science. Special attention is paid to national practices, HELCOM and EMSA CleanSeaNet activities in oil pollution monitoring in the Baltic Sea. Different applications of the Seatrack Web model for oil spill prediction and identification of illegal polluters, as well as for Environmental Risk Assessment are shown. Some of the results on satellite monitoring of the Nord Stream gas pipeline construction in the Gulf of Finland are given. This book is addressed to the specialists working in various fields of environmental problems, ecology and oil pollution in the Baltic Sea.
Andrey G. Kostianoy, Olga Yu. Lavrova
HELCOM Actions to Eliminate Illegal and Accidental Oil Pollution from Ships in the Baltic Sea
Abstract
The Baltic Sea countries have been quite successful in preventing major pollution spills from shipping, and establishing a system to monitor ship traffic and detect illegal oil spills using aerial and satellite surveillance. The regional cooperation is carried out in the framework of HELCOM, an intergovernmental organization of the nine coastal states and the European Union. Ships operating in the Baltic Sea have to follow strict global and regional anti-discharge regulations, and the number of illegal, deliberate oil discharges has decreased since 1980s substantially. While the risk of large accidental spills is constantly present, requiring that sufficient response capacities are available in the region, smaller oil discharges also pose a threat to, and have an impact on the marine environment of the Baltic Sea.
Anne Christine Brusendorff, Samuli Korpinen, Laura Meski, Monika Stankiewicz
European Maritime Safety Agency CleanSeaNet Activities in the Baltic Sea
Abstract
The European Maritime Safety Agency has been providing the CleanSeaNet oil spill monitoring and vessel detection service to all Baltic Sea states since 2007. This operational service was set up to support EU and EFTA member states’ actions to combat deliberate or accidental pollution in the marine environment in the framework of Directive 2005/35/EC “on ship-source pollution and on the introduction of penalties, including criminal penalties, for pollution offences”. The service is based on the Near Real Time analysis of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite images for both oil pollution monitoring and vessel detection. This service has proven to be a valuable tool at EU level and specifically in the Baltic Sea basin as it has brought together even more the different Baltic Sea maritime administrations in the planning and monitoring of oil spill monitoring activities. The latest results stemming in the period February 2011 to June 2012 confirm the reduction of overall oil spill detections and highlight the deterrent effect provided by a guaranteed sustainable service such as CleanSeaNet.
Samuel Djavidnia, Jorge Del Rio Vera
Oil Pollution in Waters of Finland
Abstract
The whole of the Baltic Sea is a vulnerable sea area. Through the narrow Gulf of Finland, 155 million tonnes of oil is transported and also other maritime traffic is remarkably dense leading to a high risk for accidents. Finnish strategy for responding big accidental oil pollution is to act as fast and efficiently as possible on the sea. Mechanical oil recovery is the key. Also, oil pollution from operational discharges is observed on a regular basis. In Finland, operational discharges are monitored mainly by aircraft and satellite. During the last decade, legislation of these discharges has been revisited and updated several times. The polluters may be imposed by an administrative penalty fee. Additionally, a criminal investigation can be carried out. The number and total volume of operational oil discharges has been decreasing during the last 20 years.
Heli Haapasaari, Kati Tahvonen
The German Operational Monitoring System in the Baltic Sea: Sensors, Methods and Example Data
Abstract
Operational oil pollution surveillance has been performed in Germany for almost 30 years. Sophisticated state-of-the-art sensors are being used for frequent airborne surveillance, while satellite data are used as additional information input on a routine basis. Basic research on the imaging of marine oil pollution by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has been performed in Germany since the early 1980s, and a basic understanding of the imaging of biogenic and anthropogenic marine surface films by active microwave sensors has been developed. In this paper, we provide an overview of the current operational surveillance system, and we give some historical background summarising some of the results of the research conducted during the past decades.
Martin Gade, Björn Baschek
Oil Pollution in Waters of Latvia
Abstract
Although oil pollution accidents were quite numerous in the past, the accident frequency has substantially decreased since 2005 both in ports and in the Latvian exclusive economic zone and territorial waters most likely due to the introduction of no-special-fee system in the ports. Furthermore, absolute majority of registered oil spills were small scale. Therefore, no significant impact on the environment could be expected, which was confirmed by the results of limited investigation.
Juris Aigars, Evija Šmite, Juris Skrube, Ojārs Gerke
Oil Pollution in Waters of Lithuania
Abstract
The Lithuanian seaside is famous for its sandy beaches as well as for Palanga town and the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO protected site, which are all enjoyed by the locals and holiday guests. Potential contamination of Lithuanian sea water is possible from three oil companies, apart from the discharges of passing tankers and other ships. In Lithuania, the responsibility for works involving the clean-up of marine incidents lies with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre of the Naval Forces.
Total oil hydrocarbons (THC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and oil-oxidizing bacteria indicate considerable pollution in some areas of the Lithuanian part of the Baltic Sea. THC concentrations in water frequently exceed the Maximum Permissible Level; long-term studies show increasing trends of THC concentrations in some areas of the Lithuanian part of the Baltic Sea. Būtingė oil spill (31 January 2008) caused significant increase of micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities in mussels; elevated environmental genotoxicity and cytotoxicity responses were observed in mussels even 6 months after the oil spill.
Algirdas Stankevičius, Galina Garnaga
Satellite Monitoring of Oil Pollution in the Southeastern Baltic Sea
Abstract
The chapter shows the examples and results of satellite monitoring of oil pollution in the Southeastern Baltic Sea obtained in 2004–2012. The beginning of this work was initiated by “LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft” in relation to installation of the D-6 offshore platform and production of oil in spring 2004. The results clearly show that the Southeastern Baltic Sea is highly polluted by oil products, and that this is related to intense shipping activities in the region. No pollution in the vicinity of the D-6 oil platform was detected during these years. Interannual variability of the number and surface of oil spills, as well as their seasonal and diurnal variability is discussed. The problem of transboundary oil pollution transport between EEZs of Poland, Russia, and Lithuania is highlighted.
Andrey G. Kostianoy, Olga Yu. Lavrova, Marina I. Mityagina, Dmytro M. Solovyov, Sergey A. Lebedev
Seatrack Web: The HELCOM Tool for Oil Spill Prediction and Identification of Illegal Polluters
Abstract
Seatrack Web is an online forecasting and hindcasting system for calculating the fate of oil spills at sea developed jointly by SMHI and DaMSA. The system uses forecasted wind and current fields to simulate the drift of particles representing oil or other substances in three dimensions. Seatrack Web has been implemented for several areas, one of which encompasses the HELCOM area (the Baltic Sea) and parts of the North Sea. HELCOM Seatrack Web is fully operational and available 24/7 for authorities and organizations that have been granted login access. The system is accessed via a Java client/server application with a GIS-based user-friendly graphical interface. A number of different oils are handled by the system, from gasoline to asphalt. The drift model includes state-of-the-art oil weathering algorithms for calculating evaporation and emulsification of these oils. The results of a drift simulation include particle tracks, changes in the oil properties and the overall fate of a spill.
Cecilia Ambjörn, Olof Liungman, Johan Mattsson, Bertil Håkansson
Seatrack Web: A Numerical Tool for Environmental Risk Assessment in the Baltic Sea
Abstract
In the framework of several projects related to organization of the complex satellite monitoring of the Lukoil D-6 oil platform in the southeastern Baltic Sea and a construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the whole Baltic Sea we elaborated a new, very effective technology for the quantitative environmental risk assessment, based on the Seatrack Web model. For every kilometer of the coastline, the Baltic Sea Protected Area, Important Bird Area, as well as for any part of the sea surface it allows to calculate in percent a probability to be polluted by oil, resulted from operations in ports, oil terminals, oil platforms, oil pipelines, and shipping activities (main ship routes) in the Baltic Sea. Three case studies are discussed in the chapter. This methodology can be used in the Baltic Sea countries and in the international organizations for the environmental risk assessment.
Andrey G. Kostianoy, Cecilia Ambjörn, Dmytro M. Solovyov
Satellite Monitoring of the Nord Stream Gas Pipeline Construction in the Gulf of Finland
Abstract
This chapter explains the need for comprehensive satellite environmental monitoring of the Nord Stream gas pipeline construction in the Baltic Sea, including monitoring of oil pollution, the spread of suspended matter, algal bloom, and thermal effects at the sea surface. Examples of the different types of the observed contamination along the pipeline route long before the pipeline construction are shown. This chapter is focused on the results of oil pollution monitoring during the pipeline construction, and also shows the results concerning the satellite monitoring of ice cover, suspended matter, algal bloom, and thermal effects on the sea surface in the Gulf of Finland.
Andrey G. Kostianoy, Olga Yu. Lavrova, Marina I. Mityagina, Dmytro M. Solovyov
Conclusions
Abstract
We discuss the HELCOM yearly statistics for 1988–2011 on the confirmed oil spills and flight hours of aerial surveillance in the Baltic Sea, as well as the results of the CleanSeaNet satellite service provided by the European Maritime Safety Agency. We note that the observed very low level of oil pollution in the Baltic Sea and very low number of the identified polluters, along with a huge number of very expensive flight hours and satellite radar images may have a negative feedback on the sustainable development of the future monitoring system for the Baltic Sea. The results of investigation of oil pollution in waters of Finland, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Germany are discussed. We briefly refer to a recent research on the state of the oil spill preparedness in the Baltic Sea countries. Some of the recommendations for improvement of the integrated oil pollution monitoring system for the Baltic Sea are given.
Andrey G. Kostianoy, Olga Yu. Lavrova
Backmatter
Metadaten
Titel
Oil Pollution in the Baltic Sea
herausgegeben von
Andrey G. Kostianoy
Olga Yu Lavrova
Copyright-Jahr
2014
Verlag
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Electronic ISBN
978-3-642-38476-9
Print ISBN
978-3-642-38475-2
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38476-9