Sanchi Tanker Sinking: Experts divided on environmental impact

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The Iranian tanker was carrying nearly 140 thousand tons of dangerous fuel that could now threaten the environment. CGTN's Li Jianhua is in Shanghai with more.

Now the fire has burned out. The Iranian oil tanker "slithered" into the sea over the weekend, after burning and floating southeastward about 150 nautical miles for more than a week. 32 crew members were on board. Two of the three bodies that were found have been sent to Shanghai.

The most pressing concern now is the incident's environmental impact, particularly its effect on marine life and the pollution in the area. Experts say the burning fuel known as "condensate" won't pose too much of a threat to the environment.

HE WANG CHEMICAL EXPERT "When it burns, the outcome is sulfur dioxide, which is a component of air. The capacity of sulfur on the tanker is around 0.26 percent, which means the ship is loaded with only about hundreds of tonnes of sulphide materials. When they turn into sulfur dioxide, it would weigh around only one thousand tonnes. This is like the emissions of a power plant in a month or several months."

Some experts say the impact could last decades as the pollution affects the food chain. Earlier I talked to an expert who said without proper research, any statement on the effects of the incident is speculation.

WANG YUNLONG EAST CHINA SEA FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE "The condensate - the ship was loaded with - as well as the fuel oil must have spilt into the sea for sure, though we don't know how much has leaked into the water as of yet. Now we must go to the scene and take some samples for analysis; otherwise, we won't have an objective solution at all."

LI JIANHUA SHANGHAI "Yesterday, I was here, ready to board a rescue ship bound for the spot where the oil tanker was burning. But half an hour after we got on the ship, we were told the oil tanker had sunk. The Shanghai Maritime Bureau said that now all efforts will focus on cleaning up polluted waters. The Sanchi's long term environmental toll remains a mystery. LJH, CGTN, Shanghai."