Tens of millions of gallons of oil enter our oceans each year, but a mere 8 percent is due to tanker or pipeline spills.1 The other 92 percent of “invisible oil pollution” tend to go a bit more unnoticed.
The National Ocean Service reports that contaminants enter the environment from a variety of sources2, such as industrial and commercial facilities; non-point-sources like roads, parking lots, and storm drains; and wastewater treatment plants and sewage systems, in addition to the spills that you see on the news. Even perfectly functioning equipment has a tendency to leak oil.