The Texas General Land Office responded to reports of tar balls found on beaches in Texas in recent weeks.
“Tar ball events along the Texas coast are a common phenomenon, especially during the summer months, due to ocean currents and tidal influences,” the Texas General Land Office officials told KSAT, KPRC’s sister station.
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The GLO’s Oil Spill Prevention and Response Division will collect samples in an effort to determine the tar’s source.
“There have been no reported injuries, health hazards or impacts to wildlife,” officials said. “The Texas General Land Office Oil Spill Program has increased summer beach patrols coastwide and will be sampling beach tar to analyze and attempt to determine the tar’s origin.”
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Following are some facts about tar balls:
What are tar balls, and how do they form?
- Tar balls are the “little, dark-colored pieces of oil that can sometimes stick to your feet when you go to the beach,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
- They are often remnants of oil spills but “can also be produced from natural seeps, places where oil slowly escapes from the earth surface above some petroleum reservoirs.”
- During the initial stages of a spill, the oil will spread into a thin slick, leaving it susceptible to tearing by wind and wave action. The smaller patches that result spread over a wide area.
- Various processes alter the appearance of the oil. Crude oil mixes with water to form an emulsion that looks like chocolate pudding. This mix is thicker and stickier than the original oil in the spill.
- This mixture is torn by wind and waves. The smaller pieces it breaks into are tar balls.
- Tar balls can be as big as pancakes but most are coin-sized, according to the NOAA.
- Tar balls “are very persistent in the marine environment and can travel hundreds of miles,” NOAA said
Are tar balls hazardous?
- “For most people, an occasional brief contact with a small amount of oil, while not recommended, will do no harm. However, some people are especially sensitive to chemicals, including the hydrocarbons found in crude oil and petroleum products,” NOAA said. “They may have an allergic reaction or develop rashes.”
- “If contact occurs, wash the area with soap and water, baby oil, or a widely used, safe cleaning compound such as the cleaning paste sold at auto parts stores,” NOAA said.
How are tar balls removed from beaches?
- “There is no magic trick to making tar balls disappear. Once tar balls hit the beaches, they may be picked up by hand or by beach-cleaning machinery. If the impact is severe, the top layer of sand containing the tar balls may be removed and replaced with clean sand,” NOAA said.
Reporting
- Tar balls may indicate an oil spill. If you observe an unusual number of tar balls on the beach, contact the Texas General Land Office oil spill reporting hotline at 1–800–832–8224.