Sampling at Spraglehall. The beach and rocks are covered in oil that seeps into the ground. Photo: Maria Granberg/IVL
High levels of environmental toxins in mussels after oil spill
The oil that leaked when the Marco Polo ran aground in October 2023 has caused measurable pollution throughout the area and high levels of environmental toxins in mussels, according to a study conducted by IVL Swedish Environmental Institute on behalf of the Blekinge County Administrative Board.
Maria Granberg
Despite intensive remediation, we find that the levels of toxic PAHs in mussels greatly exceed ecotoxicological limits. The levels are also elevated in the water at all the sites where we took samples, and are very high in sediment samples at one of the investigated sites
, says Maria Granberg, marine ecotoxicologist at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.
On 22 October last year, TT-Line's Marco Polo ferry ran aground in Pukavik Bay in Blekinge, just inside the island of Hanö. The result was a spill of some 150 tonnes of bunker oil, which contaminated a long stretch of coastline. The clean-up work has been extensive and is not yet complete.
In the environmental survey conducted by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute on behalf of the Blekinge County Administrative Board, oil-related environmental toxin levels have been analysed in mussels, in coastal seawater and in sediment at a number of affected sites and in reference areas northeast of Pukavik Bay. Oil samples have also been analysed.
The survey shows that the oil spill caused contamination throughout the area. The toxin levels in the mussels are so high that they are likely to cause physiological effects in the mussels, and animals that eat the mussels, such as birds and fish, may be affected.
The contamination is likely to be widespread throughout the oil-affected area and the high levels of toxins in the mussels should be interpreted as an indication that other invertebrates may also contain high levels of toxins
, says Maria Granberg.
In the report, IVL writes that based on the high levels, measures should be taken at Spraglehall, where the sediment is highly contaminated, and for the mussels at all the sampled sites.
We recommend increased environmental monitoring in the area and in-depth studies of fish and bird health
, says Maria Granberg.
Download the report (in Swedish): Miljöundersökning efter oljespill från Marco Polo
External link, opens in new window.
For more information, contact:
Maria Granberg, maria.granberg@ivl.se, tel. +46 (10) 788 65 81