Impact of Boat-Related Discharges
Because of oil’s high dispersion factor, even small discharges of oil from a fuel pump or boat bilge can cause harm to the environment. Consider:
- Oil is toxic to aquatic organisms in as low as 0.1 to 0.5 parts per million. It can impact the health, the reproductivity and the DNA of fish and other marine organisms.
- A single pint of oil can cover one acre of the surface area of the ocean, which is the habitat of such creatures as plankton and crab larvae that are the bottom link in the aquatic food chain.
- One gallon of used motor oil can contaminate a million gallons of water and will kill half of the exposed Dungeness crab larvae and will pollute more than 250,000 gallons of water.
- When oil coats birds’ feathers and mammals’ fur, they lose their insulation, suffer hypothermia and can experience lung, liver and kidney damage. Many die after being oiled.
- Fish and shellfish are also extremely sensitive to small quantities of oil. Oil mixed with detergent coats fish gills and can cause suffocation. Shellfish beds are susceptible to contamination by components of oil (heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons) that are dispersed to sediments and ingested by clams, mussels, oysters and shrimp.
- Oil products are toxic to humans too! Constituents of oil products, such as Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylenes can enter your blood stream through inhalation and affect the central nervous system, liver, kidneys and bone marrow. These pollutants are also absorbed by humans through the consumption of fish and shellfish that have bioaccumulated these contaminants.
Boating Practices that Cause Oil Discharges
Oil and oil products can be discharged to the marine environment by:
- Fuel spills caused by overfilling the tank or improper fuel transfer procedures. Learn how to prevent fuel spills.
- Accumulation of oils and other toxic products in the bilge that are discharged by an automatic bilge pump. See Preventive Engine Maintenance and Bilge Care.
- Messy oil changes that result in spills on the dock or into the bilge. Be smart with Do-it-yourself oil changes.
