In News
- Recently, Girgaum Chowpatty, a famous tourist spot in South Mumbai, saw big, black oil-emanating balls “tarballs” lying on its sandy beach.
What are Tarballs?
- Tarballs are small light-absorbing, carbonaceous particles formed due to the burning of biomass or fossil fuels that deposit on snow and ice.
- They are also formed by weathering of crude oil in marine environments.
- They are transported from the open sea to the shores by sea currents and waves
- They are usually coin-sized and are found strewn on the beaches.
- However, over the years, they have become as big as basketballs and can weigh as high as 6-7 kgs.
Image Courtesy: FE
- Indications:
- Most of the time, the presence of several tarballs indicate an oil spill.
- However, its annual occurrence on the west coast during the monsoon has led marine biologists and experts to demand an investigation into the matter.
- Impacts:
- Tarballs travelling towards the coast can get stuck to the fishing nets installed in the sea, making it difficult for fishermen to clean.
- In addition, it could affect marine life, especially filter feeders like clams and oysters.
- Tarball pollution is a major concern to the global marine ecosystem.
- Microbes such as bacteria and fungi are known to be associated with tarballs. They presumably play an important role in tarball degradation and some are potential human and animal pathogens.
- The percentage of the tarballs increased on days of higher levels of pollution and could contribute to the hastening of glacial melt and global warming.
- Tarballs can attract various heavy metals, including nickel, copper, and cobalt, to their surfaces.
- Tarball cases in the past:
- Noted cases of tarball occurrences have been witnessed at Goa beaches since 2010, in South Gujarat, Mangaluru and at Los Angeles beaches
- There has never been a case of a beach closing down due to tarballs in India.
Source: IE
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