Oil as a Hazardous Waste

510511). Hydrocarbon defilement of the land whitethorn occur by spillage and leakage from above underfur or underground pipelines and storage tanks. It may also final result from the inappropriate disposal of used motor cover (Wolf, 1990, p. 373).

In fact, during the early 1980s, it was estimated that the oceans al nonpareil received an average of about one one thousand thousand gallons of oil each year. Moreover, that estimate comprised a range, the amphetamine end of which amounted to over 2 billion gallons (Leahy & Colwell, 1990, p. 305). In addition, of the 1.3 billion gallons of used oil generated annually, all about 57% is recycledand only about 10% of doityourself oil changers recycle (Arner, 1992, p. 69). These releases crapper result in severe environmental damage and unbecoming human health effects.

Oil which enters the marine environment consists of a complex mixture of compounds. Often these substances are of variable toxicity. In the ocean, crude oil typically breaks up into three main offices: the volatile, floating, and sinking components. The volatile component quickly e vaporates into the atmosphere and dissolves into the water system column. It mainly come acrosss organisms like plankton. In contrast, it is the floating component that pollutes the shoreline. This component harms birds and marine mammals. Thirdly, sinking oil may adversely presume subtidal ecosyst

On land, the production, refining, and transportation of crude oil products has created thousands of contaminated sites (Mallard et al., 1993, pp. 18). In fact, dieselcontaminated commonwealth is a major problem currently facing today's railroad industry. The oil pollution at such sites sometimes achieves an equilibrium of sorts. incompatible petroleum phases which occur may include the following: (1) adsorbed to soil particles; (2) dissolved in the pore water; (3) as vapor in the soil gas or pore tonal pattern; and (4) as immobile, or residual, immiscible phase liquid in the pore spaces. Distribution of contrasting oil components between these different phases tends to be a function of their prevalence in the contaminant mixture and their partitioning properties (Williams et al.

, 1990, p. 220). In addition, at many foul sites, hydrocarbon contamination may have reached local ground water. By migrating into drinking water supplies such pollution could drastically affect human health (Dineen, 1990, p. 181). Petroleum ingestion, as well as dermal contact, and the inhalation of oil vapors have been associated with a variety medical problems.

The biodegradation of petroleum is a complex biochemical process affected by a variety of different factors. Microorganisms can use a several different chemicals for victuals and energy. Those that degrade hydrocarbons typically derive their energy through oxidative metabolism. Fully aerobic microorganisms use oxygen as a final electron acceptor, producing carbon dioxide and water as metabolous endproducts (Omenn, 1992/1993, p. 41).

Obviously, oil pollution is a significant environmental problem. Whether it results from spills at sea or leakage on land, the contamination can threaten human health. It seems clear, that the greatest risk from hydrocarbon ikon comes from drinking water contamination. The transport of toxic substances from soils to groundwater should be the elementary concern of any remedial system. Unfortunately
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