Water contamination due to oil spill in Ancon

The general objective of the research in charge was to analyze the actual state of the area after the water pollution caused by the oil spill in Ancon 2022; in the same way, it showed a quantitative approach of non-experimental design of descriptive transversal type, the scope of the research was descriptive; Similarly, it reached a sample of 50 people affected, a survey was used as a technique and the questionnaire as an instrument, validated under criteria which was based on 20 questions for the variable of water pollution through the Likert scale, for this, a previous sample of 20 people was used for the reliability of Cronbach's Alpha; likewise, the data collected were compared by the Microsoft Excel program and the statistical software Jamovi cloud 2. 3. 26; finally, it was concluded that the consequences of water pollution from the oil spill were very harmful to the marine ecosystem, the environment, the surrounding people and the economy.


Introduction
The oil spill at Ancon beach in 2022 has had serious repercussions on the natural environment, the local community, and the tourism industry.Ancon beach is a very popular destination in Lima during the summer, both for locals and foreigners, who come in search of its waters and sand.However, this disaster caused by an oil spill, caused by a well-known oil company, has left devastating consequences 1 .Peru has more than 3,000 kilometers of coastline and has jurisdiction over highly productive marine ecosystems.Over the last century, priority has been given to the exploitation of natural resources in these areas, such as guano, anchoveta and oil.In addition, the importance of caring for the sea has been ignored for decades, with solid waste and untreated sewage being dumped 2,3 .
The oil spill in Ancón occurred on January 15, 2022, when the tanker Mare Doricum was unloading at the facilities of dock 2 Multiboyas of La Pampilla SAA refinery, in charge of Repsol Petróleos.This spill has been catalogued as the worst recent ecological disaster in Lima, affecting 48 beaches in the regions of Ventanilla, Santa Rosa, Ancon, Aucallama, Chancay and Huacho [4][5][6] .The consequences of this spill have been devastating for the marine environment.The presence of hydrocarbons in the water has caused the death of fish, mollusks, and other organisms, affecting the food chain and marine biodiversity.In addition, there have been serious impacts on public health, increasing the risk of gastrointestinal diseases, dermatitis, and other health problems 7,8 .The tourism industry has also suffered significant consequences. 9Contaminated beaches have been rendered unusable, resulting in negative socio-economic impacts in the region.Many workers who depend on fishing and seafood trade have lost their jobs.In addition, tourists who used to visit Ancon to enjoy the beaches and practice water sports have stopped visiting due to the contamination 10 .Authorities have reported extensive areas affected by the spill, including nature reserves, islands, and beaches. 11lthough more than a year has passed since the incident, many coastal areas along the Ancon coastline remain contaminated.Repsol has provided vouchers to those most affected, but a complete solution to the problem has not been achieved 12 .Water contamination from oil spills is a serious environmental problem with devastating consequences for aquatic ecosystems and human health. 13It is necessary to take measures to inform and raise awareness among the population about the care of Peruvian sea waters.In addition, actions must be implemented to prevent future spills and guarantee the protection of marine resources.In the field of research on water pollution caused by oil spills, a series of theoretical bases are presented to support the study. 14,15To this end, national and international background information is examined to help answer the questions posed in the project and the established objectives. 16n the United States, four interconnected points are mentioned: the environmental impacts derived from oil exploitation, the impact of oil on artisanal fishing for the subsistence of local communities, oil growth and the reconstruction of coastal areas, and oil expansion and adequate management by the authorities 17 .These researchers identify socioeconomic impacts as fishing communities have their cultural identity affected. 18Fishing environments suffer directly with mortality, loss and closure of habitats, altering values and places due to oil development. 19Therefore, they recommend a more emphatic focus on governance and effective management of oil development, taking into account its cross-cutting impacts. 20,21e Oliveira et al 22 , conducting interviews and focus sessions with fishermen in Brazil, found a 53.7% decrease in sales by artisanal fishermen, from 37.5 kg to 17.3 kg per week.There was also a 52.5% drop in sales prices. 23In addition, fish sales decreased by 52.6%.Perceived impacts were also classified according to their importance, highlighting the drop in sales, the decrease in prices, skin and gastrointestinal tract diseases, as well as the reduction in seafood consumption.Soares 24 , synthesizing information from 33 articles between 2019 and 2022, concluded that a large-scale oil spill in Brazil affected 11 states.This incident generated socioeconomic impacts on 503,692 fishermen in the affected areas, with repercussions on sales, prices, GDP and employment.Trade in deep-water species, such as mackerel, red snapper and goldfish, was reduced by at least 60%, while trade in other species, such as salmon and shrimp, declined by around 50%. 25 In Argentina, it has been shown that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are highly polluting and are produced during the partial combustion of organic materials, represent a danger to human health 26 .These contaminants can mutate and cause cancer. 27The presence of these compounds in water can come from a variety of sources, such as shipping, accidental oil spills, contaminated gas runoff, sewage runoff and atmospheric deposition.It should be noted that these pollutants negatively affect people through trophic transfer. 28,29n Peru, water pollution has also been a major problem.Microplastics and other debris have been found on Peruvian coasts, limiting the economic and recreational use of beaches.Lack of beach maintenance leads to gradual degradation of the habitat. 30The importance of coastal pollution and its impact on the health of swimmers, who are exposed to pathogens dispersed in the water, has also been highlighted. 31n relation to oil spills in Peru, incidents have been reported in the Peruvian Amazon and in the Ancash region. 32These spills have affected rivers, indigenous communities and fishing and agricultural activities in these areas. 33Fines and sanctions have also been imposed on the companies responsible for the spills, as well as clean-up and rescue efforts for fauna affected by the contamination.

Methods
The methodology used in this study was based on a basic research approach.Prior to the present project, previous research encompassing theoretical and empirical analyses, collected and reported, has been conducted on the research topic in question 34 .Regarding the research design, a quantitative approach and a descriptive cross-sectional non-experimental design were adopted.This means that data were collected at a single point in time to obtain a summary of the current situation.In addition, the scope of the research was descriptive, following the perspective of Ramos 35 , which implies exposing the situation in a specific group of people.The main variable addressed in this study was the water pollution caused by the oil spill in Ancon.This incident was considered to have both a social and environmental impact, affecting both the marine ecosystem and the lifestyle of residents and tourists in the area.In addition, an economic impact was identified, as workers related to fishing and commerce experienced a significant decrease in their income due to this disaster.The target population for this study was the most vulnerable residents who lost their jobs as a result of the oil spill.A sample of 50 people was selected who are still being affected by this situation.The sampling method used was critical sampling, since the population presented homogeneous characteristics for the purposes of the research.Inclusion criteria were established for those registered as affected and considered in the survey, while the areas of Villas de Ancón and Campamento were excluded because they were not affected by the spill.The study was carried out in January 2023.In terms of data collection, a survey technique was used to gather information and perspectives of the people affected by the oil spill on the Ancon beaches in 2022.A 20-item questionnaire was developed to understand the concerns and needs arising from this disaster.Criterion validity was evaluated in this research.In addition, Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was applied to evaluate the reliability of the questionnaire and the homogeneity of the variables raised in the project.This was carried out by means of a pilot sample of 20 people living on and near the beaches of Ancon.According to the results obtained from Crombach's Alpha, the reliability of the water pollution instrument is adequate, since the result is 0.970, which suggests that the score is accurate.The information collected was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and the statistical software Jamovi cloud 2.3.26,which made it possible to create representative graphs on the subject.Regarding ethical aspects, the research was carried out following the structures and guidelines of the Universidad César Vallejo.

Results and Discussion
To contemplate the information acquired from the survey of the people affected by the oil spill in Ancon, the statistical software Jamovi cloud 2.3.26 was used, due to the size of the sample.Regarding the social problem, 48% have a high level, 30% have a medium level and 22% have a low level.This suggests that most of the population considers that the company responsible did not take the necessary measures either before or after the spill and has not behaved as it should before society, and also that it currently has a low percentage of acceptance for continuing to operate in the area.Regarding the situation as a source of unhealthiness in the table, it can be seen that 24% has a low level, the medium level has 26% and the high level has 50%; for this reason, it is understood that water contamination by oil in Ancon has adverse consequences for the different ecosystems and generates environmental problems.Regarding the questions related to the economic decline, it is observed that the high level presents 42%, the medium level has 46% and 12% for the low level; At this point, it can be seen that there are few people who have no idea of the economic level that has occurred in the area of Ancon, after the oil spill; however, almost at the same time, many consider that what happened has caused economic problems among businesses near the beach, since access to consumers and/or tourists was restricted, and that there is still no total improvement of the economy.

Source: survey
It is taken into account that at this point the studied variable, water contamination, is presented with the Crombach's Alpha coefficient, dimension 1, presents a result of 0.757, dimension 2, 0.803; dimension 3, 0.828 and dimension 4, 0.678; this corroborates that the results are reliable and that there is a high index of disagreement with everything caused by the oil spill. 36n oil spill can be caused by a variety of factors and cannot always be attributed to a single perpetrator or responsible party. 37,38Oil spills can be caused by accidents during the extraction, transportation or storage of oil.What is always present is the factor of damage to the flora and fauna and to the populations surrounding the accident 39,40 .
Water pollution caused by oil is an important issue and has been addressed by several authors and experts in the field 41 .First, regarding the social problem, it is observed that the majority of the participants (48.0%) expressed agreement or total agreement with the existence of such a problem.This suggests that there is widespread awareness of the magnitude and relevance of the social problem in question. 42These findings support previous research that has identified and documented the importance and impact of this problem in society 22,43,44 .In relation to the source of unhealthy conditions, it was found that 50.0% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed with the existence of a source of unhealthy conditions related to the social problem. 45These results indicate that a considerable proportion of participants perceive the presence of factors or circumstances that contribute to unhealthy conditions in the context of the problem studied. 46This perception highlights the need to address and mitigate the aspects that generate unhealthy conditions, in order to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of the affected community 47 .In relation to economic decline, it is observed that a considerable percentage of participants (42.0%) agreed or strongly agreed with the existence of economic decline associated with the social problem. 48These results suggest that participants perceive that the social problem has negative economic implications, such as decreased job opportunities and the impact on the income of affected individuals 49 .These findings highlight the importance of considering economic aspects when addressing the social problem, as this can have a significant impact on people's lives and community development 50 .Overall, the results in the table show that the participants have a clear and significant perception of the social problem studied, the existence of a source of unhealthy conditions and the associated economic decline. 51,52These perceptions provide a solid basis for understanding the severity and implications of the problem, as well as identifying key areas for intervention. 53The findings can be used to inform and guide future research and actions aimed at addressing the social problem in question 54,55 , improving living conditions and promoting sustainable development of the affected community 8,12,47,56 .
Pulido Capurro et al 57 , shows that 90% of the population identifies the cause of the spill and recognizes the negative consequences of the accident.They mention that it will leave strong environmental impacts on the Peruvian coast, damaging marine life and other biotic components.This work demonstrates that, like the present study, the population is highly sensitive to the problem and recognizes the potential environmental and human damage.

Conclusions
The Ancon oil spill in 2022 has generated serious social problems due to water contamination.The consequences include public health risks, loss of biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems, negative impact on the fishing industry, and persistence of contamination on Ancon beaches despite current restrictions.The population recognizes the environmental problems and the risk to community health.

Recommendations
It is recommended that the authorities carry out preventive inspections at hydrocarbon plants and improve mechanisms for early detection of failures to avoid spills.In addition, it is necessary to plan immediate responses to accidents of this nature to prevent significant damage to the ecosystem, public health and the economy.It is also suggested to conduct more bioecological studies and maintain continuous monitoring to understand the longterm effects of the spill on affected species, as well as to establish a rescue center with adequate resources for the care and rehabilitation of affected wildlife.