A new study has found that petroleum from oil spills can travel vast distances by sticking to floating debris. The study was initiated after oily debris washed ashore on Florida beaches in 2020.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Northeastern University, in collaboration with community scientists from Friends of Palm Beach. During the work, the team found that contamination had travelled over a massive 5,200 miles/8,369 kilometers across the ocean.
Discussing the new findings, Chris Reddy, a chemical oceanographer at WHOI and a global authority on oil spill forensics, stated:
“This study demonstrates how plastic pollution fundamentally changes the fate of oil in the ocean. By hitchhiking on debris, petroleum residues can persist and move far beyond what we previously believed possible.”
Describing increased contamination caused by oil, Reddy added:
“This work shows an additive contaminant effect. Plastic doesn’t just pollute on its own — it can act as a vehicle for oil, transporting petroleum contamination across oceans. This expands our understanding of what we call ‘petroplastic,’ a complex and emerging form of pollution driven by human activity.”
Reddy added, describing the role of WHOI:
“WHOI has long been at the forefront of understanding the fate of pollutants in the ocean. This study demonstrates how our expertise in oil spill forensics and ocean circulation can illuminate hidden pathways of contamination that operate on a global scale.”
While Northeastern’s Bryan James, lead author of the study and a former WHOI postdoc, added:
“Without the sharp eyes and persistence of the Friends of Palm Beach, this research would never have happened. Their local knowledge turned an odd observation into a globally significant scientific finding.”
