What are the potential environmental impacts of petroleum spills?

The correct choice highlights the severe consequences that petroleum spills can have on the environment. When petroleum products are released into the environment, they can lead to significant contamination of soil and water sources. This contamination can harm local ecosystems, negatively affect plant and animal life, and disrupt local water supplies.

Petroleum products, being hydrocarbons, can inhibit the growth of plants and microorganisms in the soil, leading to long-term degradation of soil health. They can also pollute water bodies, reducing the quality of water available for drinking and irrigation, and harming aquatic life. The toxicity of petroleum compounds can result in the death of fish and other organisms, further destabilizing the local ecosystem.

In contrast, the other options suggest outcomes that, while potentially beneficial, do not accurately represent the consequences of petroleum spills. Improving soil quality or creating new habitats are unlikely results of spills, as contamination generally degrades both soil and aquatic environments. Similarly, an increase in local fish populations is improbable because spills typically harm aquatic ecosystems rather than enhance them. Thus, the focus on contamination underlines the crucial environmental risks posed by petroleum spills.