Hydrocarbons in the Water and Suspended Matter of the Coastal Water Areas of Crimea and Krasnodar Krai after the Fuel Oil Spill in December 2024

E. A. Tikhonova*, O. V. Soloveva, O. A. Mironov, S. V. Alyomov, Yu. S. Klycheva (Tkachenko), G. V. Frolkin

A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, Sevastopol, Russia

* e-mail: tikhonova_ea@ibss-ras.ru

Abstract

As a result of the fuel oil spill from Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 tankers in the Kerch Strait on 15 December 2024, the coast of Crimea and the Krasnodar Krai was polluted. The aim of the work is to study hydrocarbon pollution of water and suspended matter in the coastal waters of the Kerch Peninsula and Krasnodar Krai affected by fuel oil emissions from December 2024 to January 2025. Although in the first days after the tanker accident (16–18 December 2024) the hydrocarbon content in the water exceeded the MPC (0.05 mg·L−1) at 70% of the stations, the n-alkanes composition and marker values indicated that the main sources of hydrocarbons in the water and suspended matter of the study water area were natural sources. Signs of degraded petroleum products were noted, indicating chronic oil pollution of the water area. During the petroleum product emissions (January 2025), average hydrocarbon concentrations in the coastal waters of the Kerch Peninsula and Krasnodar Krai did not exceed MPC. The hydrocarbon content in suspended matter in the study area ranged from 13 to 67 μg·L−1, which can be characterised as high. The distribution and composition of n-alkanes in suspended matter in January 2025 indicated probable oil pollution. An analysis of hydrocarbon genesis markers confirmed this conclusion. Thus, the fuel oil pollution that arrived by January 2025 did not cause an increase in hydrocarbon concentrations in the water. In January 2025, evidence of oil pollution was detected only in suspended matter in seawater. Given that the fuel oil spill had a certain impact on individual components of the coastal ecosystem, further studies are needed to assess the long-term impact of hydrocarbons on the ecosystem of these waters.

Keywords

coastal waters, fuel oil spill, petroleum hydrocarbons, petroleum pollution, seawater, suspended matter, Black Sea

Acknowledgments

This work was carried out within the framework of the state assignment on the topic “The state of the marine environment and its capacity for self-purification in the coastal areas of the Crimean Peninsula and Krasnodar Krai after the oil spill in December 2024” (FNNZ-2026-0016).

About the authors

Elena A. Tikhonova, Leading Researcher, A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2 Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), PhD (Biol.), ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9137-087X, Scopus Author ID: 57208495804, ResearcherID: X-8524-2019, tikhonova_ea@ibss-ras.ru

Olga V. Soloveva, Leading Researcher, A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2 Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), PhD (Biol.), ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1283-4593, Scopus Author ID: 57208499211, ResearcherID: X-4793-2019, soloviova@ibss-ras.ru

Sergey V. Alyomov, Leading Researcher, A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2 Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), PhD (Biol.), ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3374-0027, Scopus Author ID: 24070027300, numa_63@mail.ru

Oleg A. Mironov, Senior Researcher, A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2 Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), PhD (Biol.), Scopus Author ID: 56227568700, ResearcherID: ABH-9273-2020, mironov_oa@ibss-ras.ru

Yulia S. Klycheva (Tkachenko), Junior Researcher, A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2 Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), ORCID ID: 0009-0001-1752-1043, Scopus Author ID: 1220495, tkachenko_90@ibss-ras.ru

Georgy V. Frolkin, Junior Researcher, Research Center for Freshwater and Saltwater Hydrobiology, Branch of IBSS, (2 Nakhimov Ave, Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), ORCID ID: 0009-0002-2260-5230, ResearcherID: NIU-5117-2025, frean1k@yandex.ru

For citation

Tikhonova, E.A., Soloveva, O.V., Mironov, O.A., Alyomov, S.V., Klycheva (Tkachenko), Yu.S. and Frolkin, G.V., 2026. Hydrocarbons in the Water and Suspended Matter of the Coastal Water Areas of Crimea and Krasnodar Krai after the Fuel Oil Spill in December 2024. Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones of Sea, (1), pp. 52–72.

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