Vegetable Oil Spills at Sea

Vegetable oils are an ever-increasing part of bulk traffic. These oils are only slightly toxic, however, when spilled in significant volumes, and particularly in the spring and summer, they can have adverse effects on the environment or economic activity (tourism, mariculture) and interfere with amenities.

These potential consequences may lead the authorities to track slicks originating at sea, forecast future drift and possibly carry out response operations. They may also lead to pollutant collection operations on the coast and/or environmental and economic impact studies.

The objective of this guide is to offer useful scientific and technical facts to those involved in order to:
 - assess the risk
 - make decisions regarding the timeliness of a response
 - select any action to be taken
 - inform the public of the situation and prospects.

Table of contents

A. Alarm, notification, first measures

A.1 Loss signalled by vessel responsible
A.2 Pollution from unknown source
A.3 Notification, first measures

B. Identification of vegetable oils

B.1 Bibliographical data - vegetable oils (rape-seed, palm, palm nut, castor, olive, soya bean, sunflower)
B.2 Aerial detection - Visual observation - SLAR detection - Palm oil - Castor oil - Soya bean oil - Microwave radiometer - Calculation of surface area

C. Assessment of behaviour of vegetable oil spills at sea

C.1 Surface drift
C.2 Marking by drifting buoy
C.3 Sampling
C.4 Spreading

D. Risk profiles

E. Decision-making

F. Response

F.1 Techniques and tools
F.2 Containment and recovery of pollutant at source
F.3 Containment of spills at sea and simultaneous recovery of pollutant
F.4 Trawling of solid vegetable oil
F.5 Recovery of pollutant onshore and disposal

G. Follow-up