How Does Exxon Valdez Oil Affect The Environment

Shelby Hawkes
Period 5
5/11/17

Hazardous Chemical Paper: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Introduction:

Loaded with 53,094,510 gallons of oil, the Exxon Valdez was the epitome of how large oil companies had become due to the increasing demand of oil in everyday human life. Despite the strongly negative effects oil has on the environment, it is still a highly demanded substance. As the demand of oil grows within the economy, the growth of pollution and destruction of the environment grows as well. On March 23rd, 1989, all seemed well on the 987 foot ship travelling from North Slope Borough, Alaska to Long Beach, California. Tragically, at 12:04 am on the 24th, after having just entered Alaska’s Prince William Sound following the withdrawal from the

When the spill washes into wetland areas, the plants, marshes, etc. absorb the oil, negatively affecting the biology in the surrounding areas (West, 2017). Oil is complex in that there are many different forms of it. Each form is distinct in its concentration of chemicals. Each concentration determines the toxic effect it has on exposed organisms. Oils high in concentration can poison animals both internally and externally (NOAA, 2018). Crude oils are known for blending well with other elements within their chemical composition (NOAA, 2018). Surfactants are often in crude oil to allow for easier transportation and aid in their ability to blend easier. Surfactants reduce the surface tension between two phases (i.e. oil and air), allowing them to combine. Their special molecular structure allows them to perform such a task. The different ends of the chemical contain different levels of solubility. Solubility is the ability for a solute to dissolve in a solvent. If you picture the molecule of a surfactant as a match (see picture 3 below), the head is water-soluble, but oil-insoluble and the tail is water-insoluble, but oil-soluble. The tails attract and then trap the oil molecules and the head suspends them in water (CESIO, 2017). In other words, the surfactants mixed with water break up the oil and blend them with the water so that the oil can be moved from place to place. Although this is convenient

This was such the case during the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. Surfactants found in crude oil make it extremely difficult to remove from the water when there is a spill. This causes great harm to the animals and plants where the spill occured. During the Exxon Valdez oil spill, great harm was brought to the Prince William Sound area. After almost 30 years, this area is still being negatively affected by oil from this spill. Due to the careless actions of others, so much destruction occured. I believe that there should be more regulations as well as harsher rules and punishments when it comes with dealing with oil ships. The consequences of what could happen if a spill occured needs to be considered carefully and not taken lightly. The harm brought to millions of species could have been easily avoided if people took their jobs more seriously. The use of oil in all ways should be more regulated because the destruction that it brings to our Earth is to great to continue to