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Oil In Waterways Research Paper

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Grease and oil in waterways rises to the top, forming a film that blocks sunlight, impairs photosynthesis, and prevents oxygen replenishment, which disrupts the oxygen cycle and enhances growth and reproduction of microorganisms that use oil as a food source. This process leads to eutrophication, whereby available oxygen required for fish, shellfish, and other living organisms which comprise the aquatic food chain is depleted. Furthermore, larval stages of aquatic organisms are particularly vulnerable to toxic substances contained in waste oil or lubricants in general. Toxins can accumulate in plankton and other tiny organisms at the base of the food chain and ultimately reach human beings as contaminants move up the food

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