Drops in the sea: emissions from sunken tankers to continue
After the accident in the Kerch Strait, fuel oil emissions continue in different areas of the coast. The pollution comes both from the sunken tanker and from underwater fuel clots, which, floating up, form new slicks. The most effective methods of combating water pollution have proved to be synthetic nets, which are used to catch the oil fraction like fish. Geotextiles are used to protect the shore, experts involved in the operation told Izvestia. No more technologically advanced methods have been used so far. Scientists from all over Russia offer their technologies for cleaning the sea and the coast. In laboratories are already conducting experiments with samples of fuel oil to find a suitable reagent for its elimination. Details - in the material "Izvestia".
Fuel oil emissions will continue until summer
In the area of fuel oil spill on the coast of the Black and Azov seas are repeated emissions of fuel from tankers. In addition, many clots of this toxic compound are at a depth of up to 150 meters. They periodically resurface, forming new centers of pollution. This was told to "Izvestia" by Vladimir Kalyaev, head of the Skoltech development projects group, who is actively involved in eliminating the consequences of the accident.
- The polluted water area is large. There are places where no cleaning procedures have been carried out, as there is no access to machinery. In some areas there is now a repeated discharge. This is the tanker Volgoneft-239, which sank near the shore. I was working on its stern. And according to satellite images, there is still pollution from one of the sunken fragments," said Vladimir Kalyaev.
Repeated discharges will continue until summer, until the water in the sea warms up and the fuel oil reaches its surface, Igor Shkradyuk, coordinator of the program for greening industry at the Wildlife Conservation Center, confirmed to Izvestia. According to him, space images show that fuel continues to come from the sunken parts of the ship and has not yet been pumped out.
According to Vladimir Kalyaev, the rescuers faced a very difficult task. Unlike oil, which forms a film on the surface when it gets into the sea, fuel oil acquires neutral buoyancy when it cools down, evaporates and interacts with water. The fraction, like a jellyfish, floats in the water column and, when the current carries it to a warmer part of the sea, floats up and forms a new slick. There are no ready-made methods to combat such pollution. According to the specialist, the most effective approach for cleaning the sea area turned out to be synthetic nets.
- We used different nets. And polyethylene and polypropylene were the best and a little worse. In cold water they catch fuel oil particles from the largest to invisible to the eye. We use all sorts of barriers with curtains and flowing fragments through the water. We also use them by analogy with fishing ones - we catch fuel oil," said Vladimir Kalyaev.
In addition, nets are placed on the shore in the surf zone and to protect the upper parts of the beach, so that they catch fuel oil there. Frequent storms, which occur about three times a month in winter, throw fuel fragments lifted from the bottom onto the coast. To protect the shoreline, rescuers use geotextile, a material used for road construction. Specialists are building a multi-layered defense system that includes reed and straw mats wrapped with synthetic nets and wind barriers. These should change the pattern of sand deposition on the dunes and help to further filter the beach surface.
- Sand cleaning techniques are used separately. The unique superfine quartz sand in Anapa was deposited by the waters of the Kuban River. At the beginning of the XX century its bed was artificially turned, and no new sand came in. In just three weeks we have removed as much sand as the beach naturally loses in eight to ten years. All we have to do is cherish what is left. In the current situation, it is not expected that we will be able to bring it back," said Vladimir Kalyaev.
At the same time, an oil film invisible to the eye adheres to the grains of sand that remain on the coast. If you put your hand in the sand, it starts to smell of fuel oil. According to the specialist, to eliminate such types of pollution, bio- and chemical cleaning technologies are needed. Modern methods are also needed to help find underwater fuel clots.
On December 15, 2024, the tanker Volgoneft-212 sank in the Kerch Strait, and another - Volgoneft-239 - ran aground. The vessels were carrying about 9.2 thousand tons of oil products, some of which fell into the water. At a government meeting in early January, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident "one of the most serious environmental challenges that we have faced over the past year".
Specialists are looking for effective cleaning methods
Russian scientists are proposing their own ways of solving the environmental problems that have arisen. Working groups that analyze incoming proposals have been organized in the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, some universities and at the site of the accident, Irina Perminova, head of the laboratory of natural humic systems at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Fine Organic Synthesis, Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, told Izvestia.
- There are no ready-made technologies. We receive many proposals from all over the country. We need to choose those that are in the highest degree of readiness and can be applied immediately. At the first stage it will not be possible to use bacteria for purification, as fuel oil is a very heavy hydrocarbon and microorganisms will not take it. Therefore, the focus is now on chemical methods to remove the bulk. Then it will be possible to use bacteria," said Irina Perminova.
MIPT specialists have recently received samples of pebbles contaminated with fuel oil, taken in the emergency zone on the Black Sea coast. Now a series of experiments are being conducted to assess the effectiveness of the application of previously developed in the Engineering Center oil spill response tools to combat the consequences of fuel oil spills.
- We have received samples of fuel oil contaminated rocks, algae and sand from the Black Sea coast of Krasnodar Krai. At the moment, our preparations are being tested in the laboratory to evaluate the effectiveness of their application for cleaning pebbles and rocks from fuel oil. As a detergent we are testing our previously developed products - Formula R01 multifunctional preparation and Capsula R01 oil collector. They can be effective for washing contaminated sand, as well as rocks that may have vegetation on them," said MIPT engineer Alina Popova.
According to the director of the Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth. Sergei Tikhotsky, director of the O.Y. Schmidt Institute of Earth Physics at the Russian Academy of Sciences, finding fuel oil clots at great depths can be a difficult technical task. Most likely, it will have to be done by deep-sea sampling.
- The only express method of searching for contamination now is satellite imagery. It is good at seeing clots on the surface. We simply do not have such experience at depth, but we cannot do without determining hydrocarbon impurities in the water. That would require ships with gas analyzers on board. It can be done quickly," he said.
Perhaps will be able to use echo sounders to search for fuel oil slicks. Fuel differs in physical properties from water, so it can be detected with quality equipment. However, it will be possible to find out only during the tests, the specialist explained.
Fuel oil from the tanker "Volgoneft-239" will be pumped out by the end of this month, the Ministry of Transport said on January 15. A meeting of the government commission in Anapa was also held on that day. Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev pointed out that the priority task for today is the collection and utilization of fuel oil from the wrecked tankers.
- According to the responsible managers, tomorrow (January 16. - Ed.) by the evening the bunding will be finished, i.e. an external contour will be created, which will make it possible to localize fuel oil leaks towards the sea," said Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev.
On January 10, despite the preventive measures, a new leakage of oil products (after the one at the time of the accident)occurred from the tanker - they spread over an area of 2.8 thousand square meters. meters. On the same day, by order of the Russian President, a government commission was formed to coordinate work to eliminate the consequences of the emergency. On January 12, the head of the Russian Emergencies Ministry Alexander Kurenkov arrived in Anapa to monitor the progress of work to eliminate the consequences of the accident.
- The main task is to continue work on the entire territory of the spill, including the Crimean peninsula, - he said then. - I intend to do this in the next week at least. I will be here on the territory.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as of January 15, more than 164 thousand tons of contaminated sand on the coast of Krasnodar Krai, Crimea and Sevastopol and 25 tons of oily liquid in the waters of the Kerch Strait have been collected.
