Applied Chemical Engineering

Environmental impact of oil spills on water resources altering physical properties and treatment approaches

Iqbal Khalaf Erabee

Department of Petroleum and Gas Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Thi-Qar, Thi-Qar 64001, Iraq

Mustafa M. Mansour

Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Thi-Qar, Thi-Qar 64001, Iraq

Alaa M. Lafta

Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Thi-Qar, Thi-Qar 64001, Iraq

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/ace.v8i3.5692

Keywords: water surface tension; water pollution; oil-water interaction; freshwater ecosystems; treatment technologies; aquatic toxicity

---

Abstract

Water in its natural sources is exposed to many types of pollution, some chemical and some biological. Oil is one of the most common sources of water pollution affecting the coasts, seas, and oceans. Oil pollution of the environment leads to a group of very serious real disasters, some of which can be observed, counted, and controlled from the beginning of the pollution and for several days and months, and among them are not measurable. However, crude oil contains a small soluble fraction referred to as the water-soluble fraction (WSF). Oil pollution and its negative effects on the environment, especially on the aquatic environment and the living organisms that live in it as well as its effects on human health, as well as the causes and sources of oil pollution, and the impact of oil pollution on changing the physical properties of water. In this study different percentages (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 %) of crude oil were added to tap water, the results showed a marked difference in the physical properties of the water, where an increase in pH, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids was observed. Also, methods for treating spilled oil was studied. The results indicate that oil contamination significantly alters water quality parameters, with increased turbidity and reduced surface tension being the most prominent.

---

References

[1]. Hassan, A. K., & Al-Moussawi, F. H. (2019). Effects of oil pollutants on physicochemical properties of water. Iraqi Journal of Petroleum Research, 8(2), 88–97.

[2]. Al-Rubaie, T. A., & Al-Dulaimi, H. M. (2018). The role of oil pollution in changing water viscosity and density. Journal of Fluid Mechanics and Environment, 10(2), 112–123.

[3]. Ahmed, H. M., & Karim, L. R. (2018). Assessment of water contamination due to oil drilling activities. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 190(5), 275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6701-2

[4]. Faraj, S. T., & Al-Saadi, M. A. (2022). Monitoring physical changes in water due to oil-based pollutants. Water Resources and Industry, 31, 100150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wri.2022.100150

[5]. Al-Kubaisi, N. M., & Hassan, J. A. (2017). Influence of hydrocarbon pollutants on water physical parameters. Journal of Hydrocarbon Pollution, 4(4), 35–44.

[6]. Al-Hassan, R., & Jabbar, M. (2019). Analysis of oil contaminants in Iraqi aquifers. Iraqi Geological Journal, 22(2), 210–222.

[7]. Mahdi, K. S., & Saleh, A. R. (2020). Oil pollution and its effects on groundwater characteristics. Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation, 40(3), 34–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwmr.12345

[8]. Al-Shammari, Y., Kadhim, A., & Saeed, N. (2021). Environmental impact of oil-based mud disposal on soil and water. Iraqi Journal of Environmental Protection, 12(1), 45–58.

[9]. Karim, S., & Al-Obaidi, F. (2021). Evaluating the effects of oil-based drilling fluids on Iraqi water. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 203, 108686. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.108686

[10]. Faraj, S. T., & Al-Saadi, M. A. (2022). Bioremediation of oil-polluted water using native bacterial strains. International Journal of Environmental Biotechnology, 9(1), 55–66.

[11]. Fingas, M. (2018). The basics of oil spill cleanup (3rd ed.). CRC Press.

[12]. International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF). (2020). Oil spill case studies and response strategies. ITOPF Technical Reports. https://www.itopf.org

[13]. Wang, Z., & Stout, S. A. (2017). Fate and behavior of petroleum in the environment. Elsevier.

[14]. Abdallah, R. M., & Shihab, S. M. (2019). Tigris River oil contamination due to pipeline leaks. Iraqi Water Sciences Journal, 11(4), 143–155.

[15]. Xu, J., & Zhu, X. (2021). Effect of oil contaminants on aquatic surface tension and gas exchange. Aquatic Toxicology Reports, 5, 101006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqtox.2021.101006

[16]. OSPAR Commission. (2020). Offshore oil and gas industry environmental performance. https://www.ospar.org

[17]. Ali, S. M., & Younis, H. K. (2022). Oil pollution in Iraqi marshlands: Analysis and restoration proposals. Marshland Ecology and Development, 6(2), 80–95.

[18]. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2019). Oil spills and aquatic ecosystems: Effects and response. NOAA Technical Memorandum. https://www.noaa.gov

[19]. Hang, D., & Gao, W. (2023). Graphene-based nanomaterials for oil spill cleanup. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 441, 129998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129998

[20]. Badran, H. A., & Al-Khafaji, M. R. (2020). Water quality deterioration in Basra due to oil field expansion. Environmental Pollution & Control Journal, 25(1), 92–104.

[21]. Fingas, M. (2016). Oil spill science and technology: Prevention, response, and cleanup (2nd ed.). Gulf Professional Publishing.

[22]. International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF). (2020). Oil properties and behaviour in the marine environment. Retrieved from https://www.itopf.org

[23]. Reddy, C. M., & Quinn, J. G. (2001). The behavior of petroleum hydrocarbons in aquatic environments. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 42(1), 12–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(00)00142-5

[24]. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2022). Oil types and their behavior in water. Retrieved from https://response.restoration.noaa.gov

[25]. ASTM International. (2021). ASTM D1298-12b: Standard Test Method for Density, Relative Density, or API Gravity of Crude Petroleum and Liquid Petroleum Products by Hydrometer Method. ASTM International.

[26]. Saleh, H. E., Hassan, A. E., & Morsy, A. I. (2018). Laboratory simulation of oil spills on freshwater surfaces. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25(23), 22876–22884. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2356-1

[27]. Carswell, C. (2018). Unique oil spill in East China Sea frustrates scientists. Nature, 554(7690), 17-19.‏

[28]. Wq.epa.gov.tw/EWQP/en/Encyclopedia/NounDefinition/Pedia_48.aspx/Definitions/Electrical conductivity.

[29]. Zhang, B., Matchinski, E. J., Chen, B., Ye, X., Jing, L., & Lee, K. (2019). Marine oil spills—oil pollution, sources and effects. In World seas: an environmental evaluation (pp. 391-406). Academic Press.

[30]. Edema, N. (2012). Effects of crude oil contaminated water on the environment. Crude oil emulsions–composition stability and characterization, 169-180.‏

[31]. Freedrinkingwater.com/water-education2/72-tds-water.htm / Total Dissolved Solids in Water.

[32]. Gresham, R. M. (2008). When oil and water do mix. Tribology & lubrication technology, 64(3), 22.‏

[33]. Jahn, A. E., & Robilliard, G. A. (1997). Natural recovery: A practical natural resource restoration option following oil spills. In International Oil Spill Conference (Vol. 1997, No. 1, pp. 665-668). American Petroleum Institute.‏

[34]. Jawda, D. N. H., & Jaafar, H. N. (2018). The Developmental Effects of Oil Industry in Iraq (Developmental of Oil Industry and Ist Reflection on Environment in Iraq). Economic Sciences, 13(51).‏

[35]. Meyer, J. W., Frank, D. J., Hironaka, A., Schofer, E., & Tuma, N. B. (1997). The structuring of a world environmental regime, 1870–1990. International organization, 51(4), 623-651.‏

[36]. Migliaccio, M., Nunziata, F., & Buono, A. (2015). SAR polarimetry for sea oil slick observation. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 36(12), 3243-3273.‏

[37]. Lafta, A. M., Mansour, M. M., & Hamood, H. M. (2025). Numerical investigation of performance study of a solar stepped still using desalination system with cooling. AIP Conference Proceedings, 3303, 060011. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0263005

[38]. Mansour, M. M., & Doos, Q. M. (2025). Developing expert system for defects diagnostic for specific oil refinery pipelines via using artificial neural network. AIP Conference Proceedings, 3303, 060010. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0261530

[39]. Ibrahim, Z. A., Mansour, M. M., Lafta, A. M., & Ugla, A. A. (2024c). Numerical investigation to evaluate the extrusion process of power cable designed by CFD software. International Review of Mechanical Engineering (IREME), 18(8), 384. https://doi.org/10.15866/ireme.v18i8.24443

[40]. Mansour, M. M. (2024). Assessing the role of circular economy principles in reducing waste by sustainable manufacturing practices: A review. Sigma Journal of Engineering and Natural Sciences – Sigma Mühendislik Ve Fen Bilimleri Dergisi. https://doi.org/10.14744/sigma.2024.00155

[41]. Mansour, M.M., Erabee, I.K., Lafta, A.M. (2024). Comprehensive analysis of water based emulsion drilling fluids in GHARRAF oil field in southern Iraq: Properties, specifications, and practical applications. International Journal of Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 297-307. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijcmem.120310

[42]. Mansour, M., & Al-hamdani, K. (2024). Key Performance Indicators for Evaluating the Efficiency of Production Processes in Food Industry. Passer Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 6(2), 494-504. https://doi.org/10.24271/psr.2024.450557.1555

[43]. Mustafa M. Mansour, Kamaal Sahib M. Al-hamdani. (2024). Tabu Search Algorithm to Optimize Layout Design for a Multi Objective Plant Function.Passer Journal,Passer 6 (Issue 2) (2024) 446-452. https://doi.org/10.24271/psr.2024.450554.1554

[44]. Najm, N., Mansour, M.M. (2024). The role of waste reduction technology in sustainable recycling of waste paper at Thi-Qar University. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, Vol. 19, No. 8, pp. 3153-3163. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.190828

[45]. Mansour, M. M., & Ugla, A. A. (2024). Employing Genetic Algorithm To Optimize Manufacturing Cells Design. Academic Journal Of Manufacturing Engineering, 22(3).

[46]. Lafta, A.M., Mansour, M.M. (2025). Employing Artificial Neural Networks To Forecast Gas Consumption By A Power Plant. Academic Journal Of Manufacturing Engineering, 23(1).

[47]. Abdulhasan, M. J., Abdulaali, H. S., Al-Doori, Q. L., Dakheel, H. S., Al-Abdan, R. H., Alhachami, F. R., Hameed, A. J., Shoia, S. J., & Mansour, M. M. (2022b). Physicochemical And Heavy Metal Properties Of Soil Samples In Waste Disposal Site, Suq Al-Shyokh, Iraq. 2022 International Symposium On Multidisciplinary Studies And Innovative Technologies (Ismsit). Https://Doi.Org/10.1109/Ismsit56059.2022.9932750