Abstract
The objective of this research paper is to discuss background of oil well fire occurred in Kuwait and how the fire causes serious impacts on the environment. During the Gulf War around 725 Kuwait’s oil wells were burned by the Iraq. The fire occurred due to burning of oil wells not only impacted the environment of the Kuwait but global environment in very negative manner. Fire increased pollution level significantly high and people started witnessing black rain. Days were turned into the dark nights due to smoke. The balance of ecological system was completely lost due to significant increase in different types of hazardous chemicals and greenhouse gases. The paper is discussing impacts of hazardous substances and chemicals on the environment, human life and overall eco-system.
The paper detailed out how oil available in the wells converted into hazardous substances and get distributed in atmosphere, soil and water. Large percentage of oil converted into harmful gasses and some part of oil converted into vapor while remaining went into the water system. Burning of oil wells polluted air, land and water and negatively impacted life of all living creatures including trees and plants. The paper describes negative environmental impacts of fire of oil wells on the environment in short and long-term.
Introduction
Much has been written on the issue of fire in oil wells of Kuwait. A number of scholars have expressed their concerns over environmental damage that was caused by Kuwaiti oil well fire. Burning of oil wells is the largest oil well fire in the history of mankind. The burning of oil wells took place after the Iraqi forces were withdrawing from Kuwait in the year 1991. Iraqi troops set hundreds of oil wells on fire at the end of Iraq Kuwait war. Fire in oil wells of Kuwait did not affect the economy of Kuwait in a considerable manner but it affected the environment in the most negative way. This research paper intends to discuss the oil well fire of Kuwait along with discussing its hazardous effects on the environment.
Methods
When Saddam Hussein realized that he has no option except leaving the Kuwait, he ordered Iraqi forces to torch the oil wells of Kuwait. Iraqi forces torched oil wells of Kuwait in different places. Al Burgan oil fields were worst affected and they were specially targeted because of their enormous production of oil. Iraqi forces also targeted oil wells that were located adjacent to Saudi Arabia. Oil wells were torched and bombed. Burning oil wells of Kuwait was a desperate attempt of Saddam Hussein to damage Kuwaiti economy. Iraqi forces were moving back and at the same time, they torched oil wells of Kuwait.
The Iraqi troops displayed their desperation because of the intervention of external forces. United Nations and United States of America gave Iraqis an ultimatum to quit Kuwait immediately and stop attacking Kuwaitis. It compelled Iraqis to take such steps and they backed off from the Kuwait. They left Kuwait but at the same time, they expressed their anger and desperation by torching oil wells of Kuwait.
Discussion
The Persian Gulf War caused a huge damage to the environment. Days turned into nights. People witnessed black rain coming from the sky. The smoke was all over and people faced problems in breathing. Human health and wildlife was affected in a negative way. Kuwaiti people suffered from cancer and respiratory diseases for a long time and negative effect can be still sensed. The sea was heavily polluted and it caused deaths of millions of creatures due to lack of air.
Kuwait used to possess nine to ten percent of oil reservoirs of the world. This huge amount of oil was torched by Iraqis that caused a grave menace to environment in the gulf region. The oil wells burned for a period of eight to nine months. Millions of barrels of crude oil burned everyday along with millions of cubic meters of natural. Human health was at a serious stake and the fire also put the wildlife at the stake (Sadiq and McCain).
The whole region was covered in a smoke between February and November 1991. The smoke was a mixture of emissions of fossil fuels. It was very dangerous and a deadly amalgamation of different hazardous gases. The climate and ecosystem of Persian Gulf region was widely affected by the smoke. Northern winds aggravated the problem and irregular temperature in the earth, as well as, sea surface caused climatic inversions.
Pollution generated from the fire and other fire agents impacts environment in great way. Impact of large fire on the environment is much hazardous as it impact not only the local environment but global environment. Fire spread in Kuwait during Gulf war and after the war impacted the overall environment of the country. During Gulf war Iraq started burning Kuwait’s oil well. It was estimated that around 1,500,000 barrels of oil was lost on daily basic and total around 300,000,000 barrels oil were burned. While burning, a large portion of the oil was converted into the fire, and some percentage of the oil was vaporized while remaining formed lakes and ran off from oil fields (Husain).
All efforts of extinguishing Al Burgan’s oil fields were defied and the oil field kept burning for almost a year. Al Burgan oil field turned out to be the most dangerous because it was very close to the Kuwait city and it affected the human health in the most negative manner for a long time. Al Burgan oil field also affected coastal population of Kuwait where more than two million people used to reside. Thousands of Kuwaiti people suffered from serious health problems including various types of cancers and respiratory problems. Dr. Meshal from Kuwait environment protection agency expresses his anguish in these words, “Right now in Kuwait we are noticing an increasing number of cases of cancer. We think it's related to what happened in '91 when we had the oil fires. A lot of people breathe very bad air” (Chilcote).
The smoke plume that was accumulated in the sky contained Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Volatile organics (VOCs), Hydrogen Sulfide (H2), Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and Polyclinic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Kuwaiti oil wells also contained dolomite, Mesozoicage limestone and various types of salt deposits that were accumulated in the environment after excessive heat and fire. Soot and acidic aerosols were also found substantially in the smoke that was accumulated in the air. These substances are very hazardous and cause various health problems including various types of cancer in human beings, as well as, to other creatures (El-Baz and Makharita).
These hazardous substances also affect animals and ecosystem in a considerable manner. The Kuwaiti oil well fire affected the environment in subtle ways and these effects continued for a long time. Burned and damaged oil wells leaked a huge amount of petroleum fuels into land that affected the delicate ecosystem of desert. The land’s productivity was severely affected due to leakage of oil and the fire further posed imminent threat to the humans, other living creatures and the environment.
World Resource Institute president Jonathan Lass writes, “the fires released nearly half a billion tons of carbon dioxide . . . emissions greater than all but the eight largest polluting countries for 1991 that will remain in the atmosphere for more than a century. The oil that did not burn in the fires traveled on the wind in the form of nearly invisible droplets resulting in an oil mist or fog that poisoned trees and grazing sheep, contaminated fresh water supplies, and found refuge in the lungs of people and animals throughout the Gulf” (Hillstrom and Hillstrom, p. 213).
Conclusion
Having observed an overview and various related aspects of the oil well fire of the Kuwait, this paper concludes that the fire affected the environment in the most hazardous manner. The oil fire of Kuwait affected the health of human beings and other creatures in a subtle way. The environment was severely affected by the fire. The fire continued for eight to nine months and Kuwait remained covered by smoke plume for more than a year. Oil was split into sea that caused deaths of millions of sea animals. Various oil lakes were formed that affected the land in a negative manner. Smoke plume affected the ozone layer and damaged it substantially. Forest, agriculture and wildlife were substantially affected by the oil well fire of Kuwait.
Works Cited
Chilcote, Ryan. "Kuwait still recovering from Gulf War fires." 3 January 2003 . CNN. Electronic. 11 December 2014.
El-Baz, F., and Makharita, R.M. The Gulf War and the Environment. USA: Taylor & Francis, 1994. Print.
Hillstrom, Kevin, and Hillstrom, L.C. Africa and the Middle East: A Continental Overview of Environmental Issues. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2003. Print.
Husain, T. Kuwaiti Oil Fires: Regional Environmental Perspectives: Regional Environmental Perspectives. New York: Elsevier, 1995. Print.
Sadiq, M., and McCain, J.C. The Gulf War Aftermath: An Environmental Tragedy. New Jersey: Springer Science & Business Media, 1993. Print.
Appendix 1
Figure 1. Mean Monthly Concentrations of PM10 in Kuwait in 1991 and in Kuwait in 1994
