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The oil slick as seen from space by NASA's Terra satellite on 24 May 2010. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been described as the worst environmental disaster in the United States, releasing about 4.9 million barrels (210 million US gal; 780,000 m 3) of crude oil making it the largest marine oil spill in history.
Environmental disasters have historically affected agriculture, wildlife biodiversity, the economy, and human health.The most common causes include pollution that seeps into groundwater or a body of water, emissions into the atmosphere, and depletion of natural resources, industrial activity, and agricultural practices.
In 2013, researchers found that oil on the bottom of the seafloor did not seem to be degrading, [226] and observed a phenomenon called a "dirty blizzard": oil in the water column began clumping around suspended sediments, and falling to the ocean floor in an "underwater rain of oily particles". The result could have long-term effects because ...
The study is trying to identify the exposure of workers to a variety of chemicals linked to health problems contained in the oil and natural gas released during the accident, including benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene, and the chemicals contained in dispersants used during the spill. The team will look at long-term problems such as cancer ...
South Korea has the highest level of environmental pollution among OECD countries. With a population density of 492 people per square kilometer, it ranks third in the world, with more than half of the population living in the Seoul metropolitan area, which accounts for 11.8% of the land area.
Any leakage of water coming through to the electrics could lead to failure as well,” he told the paper. He added: “Some of the pipes and parts that lead outside could have begun to leak.
Thermal pollution is the rise or drop in the temperature of a natural body of water caused by human influence. Thermal pollution, unlike chemical pollution, results in a change in the physical properties of water. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. [46]
This article is a list of environmental disasters. In this context it is an annotated list of specific events caused by human activity that results in a negative effect on the environment . Main article: Environmental disaster