El Plan de Acción para el Mediterráneo - CEAB

Generally, the concentration of dissolved and dispersedpetroleum hydrocarbons were less than 5 µg/l in the region.However, heavily contaminated areas were frequently observedoutside industrialized zones along the coast. Similarly, alongthe shipping lanes in the eastern regions, where discharges ofoil from ships were until recently permitted, higher values of upto 50 µg/l were reported.Results indicate high values of petroleum hydrocarbonconcentrations in sediments near oil terminals and river mouths.In the absence of systematic and comparable results, higherconcentrations among fishes are found near major rivers andindustrial sources.The figures for oil spills show a noticeable and virtuallycontinuous decrease in the total number of oil spills recorded.However, the risk is always there.