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This article presents a synthesis of information about the massive oil spill in Brazil (2019/2020). The event affected 11 states; however, the majority of the oil residue was collected (~ 5380 tons) near nine states (99.8%) in northeastern Brazil. This spill was not the largest in volume (between 5000 m 3 and 12,000 m 3 ) recorded in tropical oceans, but it was the most extensive (2890 km). This spill develops an overwashed tar that remains mostly in the undersurface drift (non-floating oil plume) below 17 m of depth while on the continental shelf. Ten ecosystems were impacted, with potentially more severe effects in mangroves and seagrasses. Certain negative effects are still understudied, such as effects on tropical reefs and rhodolith beds. A total of 57 protected areas in seven management categories were affected, most of which (60%) were characterized as multiple-use regions. The spill affected at least 34 threatened species, with impacts detected on plankton and benthic communities. Acute impacts were reported on echinoderms, coral symbionts, polychaetes, and sponges with evidence of oil ingestion. Socioeconomic impacts were detected in food security, public health, lodging, gender equality, tourism, and fishing, with reduced sales, prices, tourist attractiveness, gross domestic product, and employment. Moreover, chemical contamination was detected in some states by toxic metals (Hg, As, Cd, Pb, and Zn) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (acenaphthalene, fluoranthene, fluorene, naphthalene, and phenanthrene). This summary aims to aid in the design of science-based strategies to understand the impacts and develop strategies for the most extensive spill observed in tropical oceans., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study evaluated the effects of water-soluble fractions (WSF) of stranded oil sampled from the beaches of Trancoso and Massarandupió (Bahia, Brazil) following a mysterious oil spill along Brazil's northeast coast (2019-2020). The samples were characterized for aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and tested for chronic toxicity in the embryo-larval stages of the sea urchin Echinometra lucunter. The WSFs contained high levels of PAHs, some of which were above the acceptable levels for water in Brazil, and toxicity to sea urchin embryos tended to occur at higher concentrations., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Petroleum oil leakage and industrial oily waste on the water surface are sustainable pollutions. The removal process by eco-friendly adsorbents is a critical challenge. It also requires sustainable treatment. The natural hydrophobic material such as abietic acid, boswellic acid, and chitosan was added to magnetite nanoparticles with different concentrations of 10, 15, and 20% on its surface. The magnetite acquires partially hydrophobic properties. The prepared natural adsorbents were analyzed by employing wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), particle size and zeta potential, and contact angle measurements. Chitosan adsorbs at the outer surface of magnetite nanoparticles while boswellic and abietic absorb in bulk. All prepared adsorbents are effective in adsorbing waste oil from the water surface. The contact angle of MB20 (magnetite/20 percent boswellic) is greater than that of MA20 and MC20 (magnetite/20% abietic or chitosan, respectively), indicating that it has more hydrophobic characteristics. The oil removal efficiency and adsorption capacity of MB20 are the highest values 57.6%, and 24 g/g, respectively. All eco-friendly adsorbents are nontoxic with low-cost production and are used many times., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Oil spills into the oceans cause irreparable damage to marine life and harms the coastal population of the affected areas. The main measures to be taken in response to an oil spill are to reduce the impact on marine life, prevent oil from reaching the shore through its recovery, and accelerate the degradation of unrecovered oil. Any environmental damage can be reduced if the spilled oil is removed from the water quickly and efficiently. Therefore, it is essential to know the treatment strategies for spilled oils. Several technologies are currently available, including booms, skimmers, in situ burning, use of adsorbents, dispersants/surfactants, and bioremediation. The selection of the type of treatment will depend not only on the effectiveness of the technique, but mainly on the type of oil, amount spilled, location, weather, and sea conditions. In this review, the characteristics of oil spills, their origin, destination, and impacts caused, including major accidents around the world, are initially addressed. Then, the main physical, chemical, and biological treatment technologies are presented, describing their advances, advantages, and drawbacks, with a focus on the use of green surfactants. These agents will be described in detail, showing the evolution of research, recent studies, patents, and commercialized products. Finally, the challenges that remain due to spills, the necessary actions, and the prospects for the development of existing treatment technologies are discussed, which must be linked to the use of combined techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]