Emulsified fuels of machine origin in seawater - a contribute to remote detection

Development of industry and trade in the last few decades caused a huge increase in the pollution of the world's oceans. Substantial contributors to marine pollution come with the rivers from land-based sources including the by products of industry, run-off from agriculture activities such as biocides as well as effluents from urban areas. Moreover, a significant amount of marine pollution is caused by shipping and maritime activities. The operation of ship plants gives a real possibility for engine oils and fuels to reach the marine environment. Discharge waters contain a certain amount of petroleum derivatives in the form of dispersed droplets (oil-in-water emulsion). The presence of oil emulsion cause measurable changes in the optical properties of seawater. It is conceptually possible to detect these changes using a standard radiance or irradiance reflectance meter. Hence, a set of radiative transfer simulation has been carried out. This paper presents a computed photon trace simulation based on the Monte Carlo code, applied to the marine environment. The results are presented as reflectance spectra for the models of Baltic Sea and ocean water both pure and polluted by oil emulsion. It is shown that even small amounts of petroleum pollution raise the values of irradiance reflectance and cause a spectral shift by certain conditions. A possibility for remote evaluation of oil pollution is discussed as well as the perspective for improving the interpretation of shipboard and offshore light field analyses.