In the central part of the Kerch Strait, the concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHCs) in bottom sediments (an average of 53 μg/g) and in the area of the Crimean Peninsula (an average of 54 μg/g) were lower than in March 2025, 2.5 months after the accidental fuel oil spill (an average of 71 μg/g). Moreover, the composition of alkanes was not petroleum–based. In the Anapa offshore area, in March, April, and July 2025, the average content of AHCs changed little (25–32 μg/g), as did the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (101–112 ng/g), while the composition of alkanes remained petroleum–based, and the amount of 2–3 ring compounds in the PAH composition decreased. It is established that ongoing hydrocarbon pollution of this area is spreading further.
Nemirovskaya et al. (2026) studied this question.