The Hebei Spirit oil Spill: 10 years of multimedia monitoring of oil contamination

Abstract

On December 7, 2007, the single-hulled tanker M/V Hebei Spirit collided with a crane-carrying barge more than 10 km off the Taean coast of South Korea. The spill was estimated at 12,547 kL of mixtures of three types of Middle East crude oil and impacted approximately 375 km of the western coastline. This study was conducted over a period of 10 years in the affected areas for long-term impact assessment. Immediately after the spill, the direct impact on intertidal region was found to be several tens to hundreds times higher than pre-spill contamination levels. Comprehensive investigation after spill revealed that oil contamination decreased exponentially and approached pre-spill levels at most monitoring sites. The current environmental state with respect to Hebei Spirit appeared to have recovered to pre-spill conditions when compared with the background levels of oil pollution indices. Nevertheless, it is important to note that residual oils are still found in armored-beach and mud dominant regions in Taean area. and impacted approximately 375 km of the western coastline. This study was conducted over a period of 10 years in the affected areas for long-term impact assessment. Immediately after the spill, the direct impact on intertidal region was found to be several tens to hundreds times higher than pre-spill contamination levels. Comprehensive investigation after spill revealed that oil contamination decreased exponentially and approached pre-spill levels at most monitoring sites. The current environmental state with respect to Hebei Spirit appeared to have recovered to pre-spill conditions when compared with the background levels of oil pollution indices. Nevertheless, it is important to note that residual oils are still found in armored-beach and mud dominant regions in Taean area.1