Oil slick takes its toll on Lebanese coast
Oil slick takes its toll on Lebanese coast
2. September 2006
Wildlife along the Lebanese coast has been heavily affected by the oil spill caused by Israeli bombing, according to an impact report by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Following the bombing of the Jiyyeh power plant south of Beirut in mid-July, about 15,000 tonnes of fuel oil spilled into the sea and spread 150 kilometres northwards, reaching Syria.
Samples from the shoreline have revealed toxic chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which build up in animal tissue. "This is a particular risk to marine organisms," says Rick Steiner, an oil expert with the IUCN. PAH accumulation can cause the collapse of fish populations in the long term, as happened after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Oil has been deposited on the seabed and on pebble shores. The latter are difficult to clean and the oil there will have a longer-lasting impact on ecosystems, the IUCN says. Seabirds and early migrant species have already been contaminated by oil, and turtles and monk seals are also at risk.
http://tinyurl.com/ocs4n
2. September 2006
Wildlife along the Lebanese coast has been heavily affected by the oil spill caused by Israeli bombing, according to an impact report by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Following the bombing of the Jiyyeh power plant south of Beirut in mid-July, about 15,000 tonnes of fuel oil spilled into the sea and spread 150 kilometres northwards, reaching Syria.
Samples from the shoreline have revealed toxic chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which build up in animal tissue. "This is a particular risk to marine organisms," says Rick Steiner, an oil expert with the IUCN. PAH accumulation can cause the collapse of fish populations in the long term, as happened after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Oil has been deposited on the seabed and on pebble shores. The latter are difficult to clean and the oil there will have a longer-lasting impact on ecosystems, the IUCN says. Seabirds and early migrant species have already been contaminated by oil, and turtles and monk seals are also at risk.
http://tinyurl.com/ocs4n
bin66 - 4. Sep, 01:22
