scholarly journals Using Sorbents for Oil Spill Clean-Up in Ports and Coastal Areas

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 113-117
Author(s):  
Włodzimierz Kończewicz ◽  
Sylwia Polasz ◽  
Kinga Rogowska

AbstractPetroleum substances are a mixture of many hydrocarbons of various structures; some of them are toxic for marine organisms. In case of pollution of the aquatic environment, these compounds may enter seawater organisms and adversely affect gas exchange and inhibit photosynthesis. Therefore, it is important to take measures to reduce the emissions of these compounds into the aquatic environment and quickly to remove possible spills of uncontrolled pollution. Sorbents are materials that soak up oil from water. They are best suited for the absorption of oil – derived substances. They are used to absorb leaks in open and closed tanks, particularly in hard – to-reach places. Sorbents can be natural organic, natural inorganic or synthetic. Natural sorbents are divided to organic materials such as peat moss or wood products, and inorganic materials such as vermiculite or clay. Sorbents are available in a loose form, which includes granules, powder, chunks and cubes. Synthetic sorbents are used to wipe other oil spill recovery equipment such as skimmers and booms after a spill clean-up operation. The thesis deals with the issues related to the analysis of the possibility of using sorbents to combat oil pollution in port and coastal areas. The article discusses the types of pollution occurring in coastal waters, as well as the types of sorbents used and the forces and measures to combat pollution. The characteristic features of sorbents are rate of absorption and adsorption, oil retention and ease of application. Absorption tests were carried out and the best sorbents for combating oil pollution were selected.

1983 ◽  
Vol 1983 (1) ◽  
pp. 371-375
Author(s):  
P. Bernard Ryan

ABSTRACT The Hasbah 6 well offshore Saudi Arabia blew out on October 2, 1980 and remained out of control for ten days. The oil which escaped from the well during this period formed a large slick which drifted southeast down the gulf, threatening the coastal areas of all states south of the blowout site. Oil spill countermeasures were mounted by several oil companies in the region either on their own initiative or upon direction from their respective states’ governments in attempts to minimize the adverse effects of the spill. All of the oil companies known to be involved in responding to the oil spill were members of the Gulf Area Oil Companies Mutual Aid Organization (GAOCMAO), an organization formed in 1972 to promote cooperation among oil companies in the Arabian Gulf for oil pollution control and cleanup in the region. The Hasbah 6 incident served to demonstrate the value of GAOCMAO in facilitating cooperative responses by member companies to a common pollution hazard and highlighted many of the problems likely to be encountered in mounting a spill cleanup operation of this magnitude in a restricted and multi-national environment such as the Arabian Gulf.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 416-419
Author(s):  
Saumya Pandey ◽  
Afroz Alam

Peat moss, a well-known hyper-sorbent is now gaining attention for its utilization in oil-spill cleanup techniques because of its cost-effectiveness, biodegradability and relatively high oil absorption capacities. This review mainly emphasis on the characteristic features of the peat moss such as high porosity and large surface area which make it an efficient natural sorbent material for cleaning up oil spills. There are several products which have been developed from the peat moss and are commercially available in the market for oil spill cleanup.


The term ‘pollution’ is taken in its broadest sense and effects are recognized to be due to interference, tainting and toxicity. Each of these types of impact is discussed and assessed. It is concluded that no long-term adverse effects on fish stocks can be attributed to oil but that local impacts can be extremely damaging in the short term and that produce from specific localities can be tainted and unmarketable for long periods. In some coastal areas oil can be one among several contributors to reduced water quality, and the implications of this are discussed.


Author(s):  
Emilio D’Ugo ◽  
Milena Bruno ◽  
Arghya Mukherjee ◽  
Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay ◽  
Roberto Giuseppetti ◽  
...  

AbstractMicrobiomes of freshwater basins intended for human use remain poorly studied, with very little known about the microbial response to in situ oil spills. Lake Pertusillo is an artificial freshwater reservoir in Basilicata, Italy, and serves as the primary source of drinking water for more than one and a half million people in the region. Notably, it is located in close proximity to one of the largest oil extraction plants in Europe. The lake suffered a major oil spill in 2017, where approximately 400 tons of crude oil spilled into the lake; importantly, the pollution event provided a rare opportunity to study how the lacustrine microbiome responds to petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. Water samples were collected from Lake Pertusillo 10 months prior to and 3 months after the accident. The presence of hydrocarbons was verified and the taxonomic and functional aspects of the lake microbiome were assessed. The analysis revealed specialized successional patterns of lake microbial communities that were potentially capable of degrading complex, recalcitrant hydrocarbons, including aromatic, chloroaromatic, nitroaromatic, and sulfur containing aromatic hydrocarbons. Our findings indicated that changes in the freshwater microbial community were associated with the oil pollution event, where microbial patterns identified in the lacustrine microbiome 3 months after the oil spill were representative of its hydrocarbonoclastic potential and may serve as effective proxies for lacustrine oil pollution.


Author(s):  
Peter Foxton ◽  
Martin Heubeck

SynopsisA brief description is given of the accident to the tanker Esso Bernicia that resulted in the release of 1174 tonnes of heavy fuel oil into the harbour at Sullom Voe. The measures taken to deal with the spill and the resulting oil pollution are described and their effectiveness assessed. Aspects of the environmental effects are considered with particular reference to birds, otters and sheep. Wide-ranging inquiries were made into the cause of the incident, the adequacy of the response, and the effects of the pollution. The actions that resulted are described. Finally the significance of the event is considered in relation to the subsequent development of oil spill contingency planning at Sullom Voe, and in the wider context of Shetland.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viju Subramoniapillai ◽  
G. Thilagavathi

Purpose The most widely recycled plastic in the world is recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). To minimize the environmental related issues associated with synthetic fibers, several researchers have explored the potential use of recycled polyester fibers in developing various technical textile products. This study aims to develop needle-punched nonwoven fabrics from recycled polyester fibers and investigate its suitability in oil spill cleanup process. Design/methodology/approach According to Box and Behnken factorial design, 15 different needle-punched nonwoven fabrics from recycled polyester fibers were prepared by changing the parameters, namely, needle punch density, needle penetration depth and fabric areal weight. Several featured parameters such as oil sorption, oil retention, oil sorption kinetics, wettability and reusability performance were systematically elucidated. Findings The maximum oil sorption of recycled nonwoven polyester is found to be 24.85 g/g and 20.58 g/g for crude oil and vegetable oil, respectively. The oil retention is about 93%–96% in case of crude oil, whereas 87%–91% in case of vegetable oil. Recycled polyester nonwoven possesses good hydrophobic–oleophilic properties with static contact angle of 138° against water, whereas 0° against crude oil and vegetable oil. The reusability test results indicate that recycled polyester nonwoven fabric can be used several times because of its reusability features. Originality/value There is no detailed study on the oil sorption features of needle-punched nonwoven fabrics developed from recycled polyester fibers. This study is expected to help in developing fabrics for oil spill cleanups.


1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 510-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Teal ◽  
Kathryn Burns ◽  
John Farrington

We have analyzed the two- and three-ring aromatic hydrocarbons from the Wild Harbor oil spill in September 1969 and the Winsor Cove oil spill in October 1974, in intertidal marsh sediments, using glass capillary gas-chromatographic and mass-fragmentographic analyses. Naphthalenes with 0–3 alkyl substitutions and phenanthrenes with 0–2 substitutions decreased in concentration with time in surface sediments. The more substituted aromatics decreased relatively less and in some cases actually increased in absolute concentration. The changes in composition of the aromatic fraction have potential consequences for the ecosystem and provide insight into geochemical processes of oil weathering. Key words: oil pollution, aromatic hydrocarbons; gas chromatography; gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; geochemistry; marsh; sediments; oil spills


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