INDEX
PAGE
1. PROBLEM STATEMENT...................................................... 2
2. OBJECTIVES........................................................................ 3
2.1. GENERAL OBJECTIVE............................................... 3
2.2. SPECIFICOBJECTIVES.............................................. 3
3. VARIABLES.......................................................................... 3
4. INTRODUCTION.................................................................. 4
5. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK............................................ 5
5.1. FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS......................................... 5
5.2. PETROLEUM............................................................... 7
5.3. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION................................. 8
5.4. ANALYTICAL TOOLS.................................................. 11
6. RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................ 12
7. CONCLUSIONS................................................................... 12
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................. 14
9. ANNEXES............................................................................ 15
1. PROBLEM STATEMENT
The great expansion of the oil industry in this century and the increase in shipping crude from
the producing areas to consumer areas, introduced new sources of pollution and a greater
risk of accidents with serious consequences for marine ecosystems. Petroleum is an organic
compound, formed from the remains of microorganisms living millions of years ago. The
hydrocarbon molecules that make up crude oil and petroleum products are highly toxic.
Petroleum also contains trace amounts of sulfur and nitrogen compounds, which are
dangerous by themselves. Therefore, the contaminating potential and the complex
composition of hydrocarbons and its derivates, on top of their easiness of mobilization in the
environment and their accumulation in water, have increase the scientific interest in order to
find solutions to reduce their effect.
2. OBJECTIVES
Provide the information about how to prevent or control water pollution because of
the petroleum spills.
- Identify the nature of petroleum (composition) and its relation with the water
pollution.
- Expose the roles of physical, chemical and biochemical processes in the
elimination of polluting petroleum.
- Mention the analytical tools to control petroleum pollution
- Present some cases about water pollution in Peru and in many places around the
world.
3. VARIABLES
- Functional Materials
- Water Pollution
- Analytical tools
- Environmental monitoring
- Organic Contamination
4. INTRODUCTION
Oil is the most common pollutant in the oceans. More than 3 million metric tons of oil
contaminates the sea every year. The majority of oil pollution in the oceans comes from land.
Run off and waste from cities, industry, and rivers carries oil into the ocean. Ships cause
about a third of the water pollution in the oceans because of petroleum when they wash out
their tanks or dump their bilge water. Oil spills account for less than 15% of the total oil in the
oceans but are probably the most obvious form of water pollution. The damage caused by oil
spills is certainly seen right away. Weve all seen images of the waters surface and shoreline
covered with oil and dying animals and plants. Oil spills will continue to be problem and
source of pollution as long as ships and barges move most of our petroleum products around
the world.
5. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Functional Materials: are techniques used in cleaning operations in the oil spill at sea;
they play an increasing role in our modern society. They can be classified as mechanical,
chemical, physical and biological technologies with more sustainable, environmentally-
friendly and lighter-weight materials.
5.1.1. MECHANICAL
5.1.2. CHEMICAL
The type of dispersant and the concentration depend on the type of oil spilled. In
the disaster of the tanker Torrey Canyon in 1967, the damage caused by the
dispersants used was greater than those caused by the oil spill itself.
Before the use of these chemicals, it is necessary to know that they are not
suitable for all types of oil or emulsions thereof. They are not effective for thick
emulsions or oils with point near room temperature fluidity that is not used for
oils, heavy fuels, or for oil spills in which the oil has been exposed to natural
processes 24 hours or moreover, because it will have been transformed into a
viscous emulsion.
In general there are two types of dispersants:
Those based on hydrocarbon solvents and contain a mixture of
emulsifiers. These are usually applied undiluted. It concentrates
containing active dispersing more agents earlier dispersants, which
causes the dispersion faster. These dispersants contain emulsifiers,
humectants and oxygenated solvents.
Dispersants can be applied from ships or from the air by planes. The use
of these compounds is restricted to areas where it is expected that
dilution of dispersants will be quick and marine life will not be damaged.
To know this studies water movement in that area and the behavior of the
dispersant are performed.
5.1.3. PHYSICAL
Incineration: Incineration of oil is another way of removing oil. You can remove
up to 95% of the total discharge. The effect of this technique is the black smoke
produced. In many of the accidents that have occurred in the history of oil slicks,
there has been accidental fire of the ship for some internal explosion, as
happened with the Urquiola, Aegean Sea and Mega Borg.
5.1.4. BIOLOGICAL
5.2. PETROLEUM
Petroleum is naturally occurring liquid oil normally found in deposits beneath the
surface of the earth. It is a type of oil composed of rock minerals, making it different
from other kinds of oils that come from plants and animals (such as vegetable oil,
animal fat, or essential oils). The word petroleum comes from the latin words
petra (rock) and oleum (oil), and so literally means rock oil. Despite this, petroleum
is an organic compound; it is one of the three main fossil fuels, along with coal and
natural gas.
Refineries are generally considered a major source of pollutants in areas where they
are located and are regulated by a number of environmental laws related to air, land
and water. Some of the regulations that affect the refining industry include the Clean
Air Act, the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Safe Drinking Water Act, Oil Pollution Act and
Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plans, etc. Here is a breakdown of the
air, water, and soil hazards posed by refineries:
Petroleum refineries are a major source of hazardous and toxic air pollutants
such as BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene). They
are also a major source of criteria air pollutants: particulate matter (PM),
nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H 2S), and
sulfur dioxide (SO2). Refineries also release less toxic hydrocarbons such as
natural gas (methane) and other light volatile fuels and oils. Some of the
chemicals released are known or suspected cancer-causing agents, responsible
for developmental and reproductive problems. They may also aggravate certain
respiratory conditions such as childhood asthma. Along with the possible health
effects from exposure to these chemicals, these chemicals may cause worry
and fear among residents of surrounding communities. Air emissions can come
from a number of sources within a petroleum refinery including: equipment leaks
(from valves or other devices); high-temperature combustion processes in the
actual burning of fuels for electricity generation; the heating of steam and
process fluids; and the transfer of products. Many thousands of pounds of these
pollutants are typically emitted into the environment over the course of a year
Water pollution because
8 of petroleum spills
UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL MAYOR DE SAN MARCOS
Refineries are also potential major contributors to ground water and surface
water contamination. Some refineries use deep-injection wells to dispose of
wastewater generated inside the plants, and some of these wastes end up in
aquifers and groundwater. Wastewater in refineries may be highly contaminated
given the number of sources it can come into contact with during the refinery
process (such as equipment leaks and spills and the desalting of crude oil). This
contaminated water may be process wastewaters from desalting, water from
cooling towers, storm water, distillation, or cracking. It may contain oil residuals
and many other hazardous wastes. This water is recycled through many stages
during the refining process and goes through several treatment processes,
including a wastewater treatment plant, before being released into surface
waters. The wastes discharged into surface waters are subject to state
discharge regulations and are regulated under the CWA. These discharge
guidelines limit the amounts of sulfides, ammonia, suspended solids and other
compounds that may be present in the wastewater. Although these guidelines
are in place, sometimes significant contamination from past discharges may
remain in surface water bodies.
Analytical tools: are methods used to process and interpret information during an
evaluation. For water pollution because of petroleum spills, we will focus on the biological
monitoring. They make regulatory monitoring and enforcement much easier and more
enforceable.
Environmental monitoring: describes the processes and activities that need to take
place to characterize and monitor the quality of the environment. Is an effort to provide, not
only, the basic know-how and the materials needed to plan, establish and operate water-
quality monitoring systems on national levels but also with a view to improving access to
quality water.
Organic Contamination: is the more important in magnitude. The matter organic is
biodegraded by processes natural in presence of organisms decomposers water (bacteria
and fungi) to substances more simple. Here plays a role fundamental the oxygen dissolved
of the water because them decomposers it need to live and to produce them phenomena
of biodegradation, so can cause a decrease such that prevents the survival of them
agencies aerobics and of the flora and the fauna aquatic.
In a broad sense, biological monitoring involve any component that make use of
living organisms, whole or part as well as biological systems to detect any
harmful, toxic or deleterious change in the environment especially with the aim
of detecting deleterious, harmful or toxic substances in that environment. There
are various components employed in biomonitoring of contaminants in the
environment. Examples of components included in biomonitoring contaminants
are:
1. Biological Markers
2. Biosensor
3. Enzyme-based biosensors
4. Antibody-based biosensors (immunosensors)
5. DNA-based biosensors
6. RECOMMENDATIONS
The best way to attack the problem of pollution by oil is to prevent the incident.
Normally these are produced by failures of equipment or of the material and failure
human. The first can be corrected through regular inspections and a proper
maintenance; and second, through the instruction and training of staff. The good
maintenance of equipment is essential for the prevention of pollution by hydrocarbons.
Before to use any functional materials for pollution control, it should be removed the
source of spill to prevent the extension of the spilled oil on the water surface.
The government has to measure refineries activities to prevent accidents that lead in
environmental pollution (especially water and soil pollution). It has to monitor the
policies of refineries work that they wont say that they are not responsible for anything
when they ought to do activities taking care the environment in every moment.
7. CONCLUSIONS
The communication at the time of an accident is essential for solve this emergency,
with the purpose of that so soon as is produce an event of spill, start operations of
cleaning with media appropriate to minimize the damage that cause to the environment
and that destroy the sources generating of life, as well as also to the different species
that live in them.
The behaviour of an oil spill in the water depend on: the volume spilled, the physical
properties of hydrocarbon and certain environmental variables such as weather, sea
conditions, the time of year and the water body where this occurs properties.
Both functional materials and analytical tools let us to contain, collect and a chemical
treatment of spilled oil.
Pollution control measures cannot eliminate pollution; all they can do is to mitigate its
effects on the environment. Control measures are instituted at the end of the (waste)
pipe. The usefulness of control measures will depend on the pollutant and the
industrial circumstance, so the best way is to apply measures of pollution prevent.
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
9. ANNEXES
*Peruvian news that is the reason of the language