Modelling fuel oil transformation on geographically different seacoasts and assessing their self-cleansing capacity

The present paper considers the results of long-term (up to 17 years) in situ and laboratory research carried out on oiled French, Spanish, and Russian seacoasts. The objective of this research is to quantify the influence of geographical factors on the rates of natural transformation of the heavy fuel oil stranded ashore and to develop an empirical statistical model in order to evaluate the self-cleansing capacity of the coastal environment. In a number of field campaigns, 363 samples of weathered oil slicks and tar balls have been collected and analysed with the use of thin-layer chromatography combined with optical and gravimetric methods. The results obtained have been subjected to multiple nonlinear regression analyses. It has been shown that heavy fuel oil natural attenuation is more active in continental or estuarine environments influenced by nutrient-rich freshwater runoff and characterised by a higher number of sunny days, solar irradiation, and large temperature fluctuations. On the oceanic coasts, especially in sectors with low hydrodynamic energy, these processes take more time. The resulting model allows for the identification and mapping of the most vulnerable seacoasts, characterised by a low potential to degrade oil pollution. This information may be used in the contingency plans in order to optimise clean-up techniques and associated costs.