Harmful environmental toxins still present two years after oil spill

Hazardous substances are still being released from the oil that leaked when the Marco Polo ran aground in Pukavik Bay in Blekinge Sweden two years ago. This is the finding of a study conducted by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute on behalf of the Blekinge County Administrative Board. The results show significantly elevated levels of carcinogenic hydrocarbons in the area.

We have examined oil toxins in soil samples from coastal meadows and in stranded macroalgae and seagrass samples from several locations over time. We see that two years post accident, oil toxins remain in the environment. Oil spills are rarely followed up over such a long period of time, but these results show that this is necessary, says Maria Granberg, marine ecotoxicologist at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.

On 22 October 2023, TT-Line's passenger ship Marco Polo ran aground in Pukavik Bay in Blekinge, just inside Hanö Island. The accident resulted in approximately 150 tonnes of bunker oil leaking and polluting a long stretch of coastline. Extensive clean-up work has succeeded in limiting the damage, but the oil spill will affect people, animals and nature for many years.

Along the coast in Pukavik Bay, there are long coastal meadows with sensitive flora and fauna, and very high natural values. To determine whether the soil and vegetation have been affected by chemical substances, IVL conducted sampling in the area on behalf of the Blekinge County Administrative Board. The results now being presented show significantly elevated levels of carcinogenic hydrocarbons, known as PAHs. The highest levels were found in the Spraglehall nature reserve.

Spraglehall is a nature reserve where animals graze right down on the shoreline. But it's not appropriate for them to do so when the soil contains such high levels of toxins, says Maria Granberg.

Since the accident, the County Administrative Board and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, together with IVL, have investigated the state of the environment in the area. According to a report presented earlier this year, mussels and seabed sediment contain harmful substances. Work to map the long-term effects on the ecosystem continues.

One challenge has been that the clean-up and environmental follow-up are being carried out as two separate efforts. This makes it difficult to evaluate the consequences of individual measures, and prevents us from understanding which measures are effective. The authorities should demand and plan for a closer, continuous dialogue for the sake of the environment, says Maria Granberg.

Final report Pukavik Bay 2025: Provtagning av strandängar och strandad tång/sjögräs efter fartyget Marco Polos oljespill External link, opens in new window. [Testing of coastal meadows and stranded macroalgae/seagrass following the grounding of the Marco Polo] (In Swedish, with summary in English)

For more information, contact:
Maria Granberg, maria.granberg@ivl.se, tel. +46 (0)10-788 65 81