What Are the Metal Elements in Oil Pollution?

Oil typically floats on the surface of water.

Oil, also known as petroleum, is a complex hydrocarbon that is classified as a fossil fuel. A variety of metals can be found in oil, and because of this, when oil pollution occurs, these metals are introduced into the environment and plants and animals. The effects of these metals and other chemicals can be severe.

Metals in Oil Pollution

Metals that can be found in oil pollution include iron, nickel, vanadium, copper, lead, manganese, cadmium, zinc, barium, mercury, arsenic and chromium. Metals represent a very minute amount of the chemical makeup of an oil spill, however.

Oil Pollution in the Water

When oil is spilled in the water, a variety of metals are released in very small amounts. These metals include, iron, mercury, nickel, copper and vanadium. The chemical makeup of oil can, however, vary depending on production and environmental factors. After an oil spill occurs in water, weathering and environmental effects can reduce or modify the chemicals and metals found in the oil pollutant.

Oil Pollution in the Air

When oil is burned, it creates emissions that contain pollutants. A variety of metals can be found in the air pollution created by burning oil. Lead, chromium, manganese, nickel and vanadium, for example, can be found in the air pollution given off by diesel engines. Some countries have put into place regulations that curb certain compounds and metals in diesel emission.

Effects

In a study by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, breathing metals such as nickel and vanadium -- which are given off in the combustion of oil -- can negatively affect the respiratory system of young children. Also, according to Boyce Thorne-Miller, Marine Science and Policy Coordinator at SeaWeb, "Oil settles into the sediments on the coast and sea bottom, where it can be a source of toxic pollution for years to come. ... Loss of biodiversity in association with long-term metal pollution has also been documented."

References

• Aerosol and Air Quality Research; Characteristics of Heavy Metals Emitted from a Heavy Oil-Fueled Power Plant in Northern Taiwan; Ya-Fen Wang, et al.; September 2009
• Science Daily; Exposures to Metals and Diesel Emissions in Air Linked to Respiratory Symptoms in Children; November 2009
• Fairfax County; Heavy Metal Pollution Is More Common Than You Think; March 2005
• International Oil Spill Conference; Trace Metals and Biomarkers in Oil: A Tool For Identification of Spills; Ranu Gadi, et al.
• Science Daily; Crude Oil Contains Less Toxic Mercury Than Coal June 2007
• "The Living Ocean: Understanding and Protecting Marine Biodiversity"; Boyce Thorne-Miller; 1999