OIL POLLUTION OF EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA, SOUTH OF TURKEY

Oil pollution of eastern Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey

Isik Bıldacı, Selma Ünlü, Kasım Cemal Güven

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

Abstract

In our earlier work oil pollution of east Turkish Mediterranean area was determined before and after service of Iraq -Yumurtalik export pipeline in 1997. In this paper oil pollution amount is given in the same area in 1999. The highest pollution was found as 2690 µg/L at Botaş and 629.60 µg/L at Mersin. The determination was made by using Iraqian and Iranian crude oils as reference material. The oil amount was found lower when chrysene was used as a reference. The low amount of oil pollution measured by earlier workers in the same area can be attributed to this fact. The use of polluting crude oil as reference material gives reliable results to determine oil pollution.

Keywords: Oil pollution, eastern Mediterranean Sea, crude oil, chrysene