GERARD DE SOUZA
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PANJIM: The mystery surrounding the surfacing of tar balls on Goan beaches has apparently been solved with the National Institute of Oceanography revealing that they originate from washing away of oil spills from crude oil carrying tankers which move from South East Asia to the Gulf region.
The NIO study which used fingerprinting techniques to determine the source of the oil, has recommended strict policing of sea routes between South East Asia and the Arabian Gulf through the Arabian Sea as a solution to stop the devastation of Goan beaches, especially during monsoons, for solving the tarball formation problem.
“Based on the diagnostic ratios of n-alkane and hopane analysis, it is concluded that the tar balls that were deposited along the Goa coast during 2010 and 2011 are formed from the oil spills which emanate from tankers and have the characteristics of floating tar balls,” the study published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin said recently.
The study titled, “Identification of sources of tar balls deposited along the Goa coast, India, using fingerprinting techniques was carried out as a part of the project, ‘Fingerprinting of oil spills and tar balls along the Indian coast’.
“Compound specific isotope d 13C analysis brought out a clear representation that all the tar balls samples are from a single source, but not from BH (Bombay High),” the study further reveals.
“The cross-plot of hopane biomarker diagnostic ratios also confirms that the source is SEACO (South East Asian Crude Oil),” the study has concluded.
It was earlier believed that the oil source of the tar balls along the West Coast of India was from the oil field of Bombay High and the researchers initially compared the tar balls gathered from five locations in Goa with that of the crude produced at Bombay High.
“The Middle East countries on the north west of the Arabian Sea are rich in oil producing fields. But, there is a good demand for SEACO in these countries . The SEACO oil is transported to the Middle East countries through the Arabian Sea. It is possible that the tankers that are going to the Middle East with SEACO possibly clean their tanks in the Arabian Sea. The resulting oil undergoes weathering process, leading to tar ball formation. With the arrival of SW monsoon, all floating tar balls start moving towards the west coast of India, and eventually deposit on the nearby beaches consistent with the circulation pattern,” the study found.
“The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has totally prohibited deballasting enroute. With strict enforcement of national and international pollution laws and alert vigilance by national authority, it is possible to control the occurrence of tar balls on the Goa coast,” the study suggests.
“This deposition attracts a huge public concern as the ongoing recreational activities on beaches get seriously affected, which in turn affects the tourism industry, and the government of India is concerned about this environmental problem. Moreover, the tarball being a carcinogenic, they affect marine life and tarball pollution degrades health of the coastal waters off Goa,” the study reported.
The Goa coast is often faced with the menace of tar balls, causing tremendous anguish to tourism stakeholders and locals and has become a common phenomenon during the southwest monsoon season. During August 2010, most of the Goa beaches were affected by tar ball deposits, whereas, in May 2011 tar ball deposits were found only along the Mandrem beach.
