Question

Write down effects of oil pollution on plants and animals?

Answer 1

The effects of oil pollution on plants and animals are as followed:

(i) Oil spreading on the surface of water prevents its oxygenation. Rather, it depletes the small quantity of oxygen present in water for its own degradation.

(ii) Oil pollution inhibits plankton growth and photosynthetic activity of other aquatic plants.

(iii) Animal life is destroyed due to reduced availability of oxygen, food and toxic effects of oil.

(iv) Oil spilled over the water surface may catch fire and hence kill all organic life.

(v) Detergents used to clean oil spill are equally harmful. This happened during Torrey Canyon accident on British Coast (1969) (vi) Sea birds smeared with oil fall sick and die.