Spill

A spill is the accidental release of a liquid or granular material from its container, or an overflow caused by overfilling, a broken seal, or a faulty valve. Spills happen in homes, workplaces, and transportation and can involve water, fuel, chemicals, or other substances. They may pose risks to health, safety, and the environment.

Environmental and industrial spills can have serious consequences. Contamination of soil and groundwater, harm to wildlife, and fire or explosion hazards are common concerns. The impact depends on the material’s toxicity, volatility, persistence, volume, and the sensitivity of the affected area. Oil spills, chemical spills, and spills of hazardous substances are particularly scrutinized.

Response and cleanup focus on rapid containment and removal. Initial steps include isolating the area, stopping the source, and using barriers, absorbents, socks, or booms to limit spread. Cleanup methods vary by substance and setting and may involve sorbents, skimmers for water, neutralizers, ventilation, and proper disposal of contaminated waste. Protective equipment and environmental monitoring are standard.

Prevention relies on proper storage, secondary containment, leak-detection, regular inspections, and staff training. Spill kits, clear labeling, and emergency response plans are common in industry, transport, and public facilities. Regulatory frameworks—such as oil pollution laws, chemical safety rules, and maritime environmental conventions—govern reporting, cleanup standards, and liability.

In computing, spill can also describe moving data from fast storage, such as CPU registers, to slower storage when space is limited; this is known as register spilling or memory spilling.