Contamination of the Black Sea surface water layer with oil hydrocarbons

At present, the studies of the Black Sea water contamination with oil hydrocarbons have been reduced and those of coastal water areas have been limited. However, no significant trends have been revealed towards the decrease in the concentration of these hazardous substances in the water from 1978 to 2012; moreover, it may have increased due to the activation of the navigation of offshore oil-and-gas complex and oil product transshipment. Therefore, the expert evaluation of the contamination of water in the Black Sea and some coastal areas with oil hydrocarbons is carried out using the available data of in situ observations.