An investigation on the oil pollution of the Eastern Mediterranean Coast of Turkey

Kasim Cemal Güven, Selma Ünlü, Işık Bıldacı, Ertuğrul Doğan

University of istanbul, Institute of Marine Sciences and Management, Vefa, 34470, Istanbul, TURKEY
Hacettepe University, Environmental Research Center, Ankara, TURKEY

Abstract

The oil pollution in seawater of East Mediterranean areas of Turkey was measured before and after service of Iraq – Yumurtalık (İskenderun) export pipeline. The higher oil concentration was found as 514.28 µg/L and 30.35 µg/L at Botaş before and after pumping respectively. The oil levels was varied before or after pumping. The findings show that oil transport by pipeline is a better export route. This investigation is a example which is supported the Turkish thesis of pipeline transport for Caspian oil thus recuding the risk of dangerous oil pollution of Bosphorus, Sea of Marmara and Dardanelles.

Keyword: East Mediterranean, oil levels, before and after pumping