Oil pollution in the Kerch strait after the “Volgoneft” tanker accident in december 2024
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Abstract
In December 2024, as a result of an accident involving two tankers transporting fuel oil, up to 4,000 tons of petroleum products entered the marine environment of the Kerch Strait. Considering the region’s intensive shipping activity and chronic hydrocarbon (HC) load, identifying the extent of pollution and assessing the state of the water became an urgent task. The aim of this study was to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative composition of hydrocarbons in the waters of the Kerch Strait after the accident. Sampling was conducted in spring 2025 during the 134th cruise of the R/V Professor Vodyanitsky. HC and n-alkane concentrations were determined using gas chromatography. Physicochemical parameters of the water (pH, Eh, dissolved oxygen (O2), temperature, salinity) were also assessed. HC concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 0.27 mg·L-1, with maximum permissible concentrations (0.05 mg·L-1) exceeded at 6 out of 13 stations. The highest values were recorded in the Black Sea area adjacent to the strait. At stations with elevated HC levels, signs of biodegraded oil pollution were detected. Physicochemical parameters of the water remained within normal limits. The distribution of n-alkanes and the HC composition indicate a significant role of self-purification processes.