Oil spill sorption using carbonized pith bagasse: trial for practical application

In the present work, an attempt was made to provide an efficient, easily deployable method of cleaning up oil spills and recovering of the oil. Carbonized pith bagasse, a relatively abundant and inexpensive material is currently being investigated as an adsorbent to remove contaminants “oil” from water. Fibers extracted from bagasse and carbonized at 300 °C were found to have a high performance for sorption and recovery of light, heavy oils and even the viscous ones. The physical properties of pith bagasse were investigated using scanning electronic microscope to show the inner and the outer surface and the cross section area of the pith bagasse and thermo gravimetric analyzer to investigate the degradation profile of the pith bagasse. The carbonized pith bagasse was packed into a polypropylene bag and its sorption behavior was studied. A comparison was made between the prepared pad and the commercial sorbents show that the pad containing carbonized pith bagasse has higher sorption capacity in comparison to the commercial sorbents. The pad exhibited high oil retention ability and a high selectivity for the oils over the water. The pad showed a possibility of reuse for eight times. The sorption capacity of the pads containing carbonized pith bagasse was found to increase with increasing the time of sorption till it reaches the maximum value at the time of sorption equal to 60 min.     

Bearing Capacity of a Model Scale Footing on Crude Oil-Contaminated Sand

Onshore and offshore oil spills contaminate soil. In addition to environmental concerns for ground water pollution and other possible effects, the geotechnical properties of the contaminated soil such as the shear strength and the hydraulic conductivity are also altered. This note is a report of research in progress to evaluate the variation of the shear strength of a sand contaminated by a crude oil and thus the ultimate bearing capacity of shallow foundations. The limited results of the tests reported here relate to only one type of sand and one crude oil. The oil content was varied from zero to 4.2%. Results of direct shear tests for determining the soil friction angle are given. Along with these, laboratory model test results for the ultimate bearing capacity of a surface strip foundation supported by crude oil-contaminated sand are also presented. Based on these test results, the effect of oil contamination in drastically reducing the bearing capacity is discussed.     

Facile sorbent from esterified cellulosic sago waste for engine oil removal in marine environment

This article reports on the utilization of chemically modified cellulosic sago (MCS) from sago bark as a highly potential material for remediating oil spills in marine environment. MCS was prepared via incorporation of hydroxyl-rich cellulosic sago bark (CS) with fatty acid derivative. The sorption capacity, hydrophobicity, and lipophilicity of MCS and CS were evaluated. MCS exhibited higher total pore volume (0.012 cm³/g) and high hydrophobicity (60%) compared to CS. The oil spills adsorption studies was compared in batch system both in deionized water and seawater. MCS showed higher oil sorption capacity in deionized water after 60 min (MCS 3.0 g/g, CS 2.4 g/g). The maximum oil sorption capacity of MCS in dynamic seawater system was 5.7 g/g which was higher than CS (5.0 g/g). The results suggested that MCS is a potential low-cost natural sorbent which work best in the removal of oil spilled from dynamic seawater environment than deionized water.     

Reusable nanocomposite-coated polyurethane foams for the remediation of oil spills

Cost-effective oil absorbents for the remediation of oil spills have been developed following a facile process involving the modification of polyurethane foam surfaces with mixtures of silicon oxide nanoparticles and polydimethylsiloxane. Polyurethane foams with different pore sizes and connectivity are tested, and it was found that the proposed treatment, applied by dip coating and spray coating, strongly improves the intrinsic foams’ performance in terms of selectivity and oil absorption capacity. The modified foams reach oil absorption capacities up to 60 g/g and simultaneous negligible water uptake. The treatment is stable after multiple absorption cycles, and therefore, the foams can be reused without significant decrease in their performance, being possible, after five cycles of absorption and recovery of oil, to reach overall oil absorption capacities up to 250 g/g.     

植物修复技术在污染治理中的应用现状

植物修复技术是利用活的植物对污染土、污染地下水等介质进行修复。植物对金属元素的净化机理是植物积累、根系过滤、植物根系对土的稳定作用;植物对有机物的净化机理是植物降解、生物刺激和植物的蒸发作用;此外植物的水力控制也是控制污染的主要途径。目前国外在利用植物修复卤代烃、农药、汽油、柴油、重金属、放射性物质、废旧炸药、处理污染填土淋滤液、利用植物分解处理空气中的污染物质或将氧化氮转化为氮气等多方面的研究已取得很多重要成果,而其中最为显著的是利用杂交植物对卤代烃污染地下水进行修复和研究利用转基因植物吸收土壤中的甲基汞。我国在植物修复技术方面的研究也取得重大成果,如利用凤眼莲修复污水中的某些农药、利用蜈蚣草叶片富集砷,利用印度芥菜对土壤中难溶态镉的吸收等。     

Monitoring large oil slick dynamics with moderate resolution multispectral satellite data

Accidental release of crude oil into the sea due to human activity causes water pollution and heavy damages to natural ecosystems killing birds, fish, mammals and other organisms. A number of monitoring systems are used for tracking the spills and their effects on the marine environment, as well as for collecting data for feeding models. Among them, Earth observation technologies play a crucial role and moderate spatial resolution satellite systems are able to collect images with a very short revisit time or even daily. This paper describes the use of Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data for monitoring large oil slicks with the fluorescence/emissivity index and object-based image analysis. Two case studies are presented: the Deepwater Horizon (2010) and the Campos Basin (2011) oil spill accidents. Results show that it is possible to track the dynamics of the slick both for massive and long-lasting accidents and for smaller and very quick accidents. The main advantages of the method proposed are a straightforward implementation, a fast and semi-automated data processing and the capability of integration of daytime and nighttime acquisitions, as well as its adaptability to different sensors.     

Geologic controls on movement of produced-water releases at US geological survey research Site A,Skiatook lake,Osage county,Oklahoma

Highly saline produced water was released from multiple sources during oil field operations from 1913 to 1973 at the USGS research Site A on Skiatook Lake in northeastern Oklahoma. Two pits, designed to hold produced water and oil, were major sources for release of these fluids at the site. Produced water spills from these and other features moved downslope following topography and downdip by percolating through permeable eolian sand and colluvium, underlying permeable sandstone, and, to a lesser extent, through shales and mudstones. Saline water penetrated progressively deeper units as it moved through the gently dipping bedrock to the north and NW. A large eroded salt scar north of the pits coincides with underlying fine-grained rocks that have retained substantial concentrations of salt, causing slow revegetation. Where not eroded, thick eolian sand or permeable sandstone bedrock is near the surface, and vegetation has been little affected or has reestablished itself after the introduced salt was flushed by precipitation. The extent of salt-contaminated bedrock extends well beyond existing surface salt scars. These results indicate that one of the legacies of surface salt spills can be a volume of subsurface salinization larger than the visible surface disturbance.     

Measurement of partition coefficients of phenol and cresols in gas-charged crude oil/water systems

An instrument has been constructed for monitoring the partition coefficients of phenol and cresols between crude oil and water under sub-surface conditions. The device has the capacity for introducing methane gas into crude oil, thereby allowing measurements under live oil (solution gas-containing) conditions. The partition coefficients of phenol and cresols have been measured in crude oil: water substrates under “live” oil and “dead” oil (without solution gas) conditions over a temperature range 25–150 °C. Over the range investigated it is seen that the introduction of gas (crude oil saturated at 100 bar with methane) into the system resulted in an approximate doubling of partition coefficients compared to the equivalent dead oil: brine systems. The partition coefficient data obtained using the device may be employed in a number of petroleum exploration and production activities such as the determination of residual oil saturation of a water-flooded petroleum reservoir. Partition coefficient measurements may help in predicting toxic organic solute loadings in oilfield discharge waters.     

Application of an oil spill vulnerability index to the shoreline of lower Cook Inlet,Alaska

Offshore tracts in Alaska's lower Cook Inlet are scheduled to be opened for exploratory petroleum drilling in the near future. Because of the potential for oil spills resulting from this activity, a field study of the coastal zone was conducted in June 1976. A total of 1216 km of shoreline was classified into 3 types: erosional (45 percent), neutral (38 percent), and depositional (17 percent). These were further subdivided into 16 subclasses on the basis of small scale morphological features. This classification was used in conjunction with a vulnerability index of potential oil spill damage, developed through study of three major oil spills, to predict the longevity of oil in the different coastal environments of the Inlet. On a scale from 1 to 10, 45 percent of the shoreline has low values of 1 to 4, which means that oil would be dispersed by natural processes within less than six months after a spill on these coasts. Values from 4 to 6 were assigned to 13.4 percent of the shoreline, where oil residence time may be up to one year. A 6 to 10 rating was assigned to 41.5 percent of the shoreline, where oil contamination may remain for periods of two to ten years, or possibly longer should no major clean-up procedures be initiated. We propose that the use of this type of vulnerability indexing, in conjunction with a biological susceptibility index and oil spill trajectory models, would provide a rational basis for decision making concerning the location of on- and off-shore oil facilities and the design of oil spill contingency plans.     

矿物材料与环境污染治理—以粘土矿物和沸石为例

矿物的性能，矿区地质测试和吸附能力实验表明，粘土矿物和沸石等矿物材料对于Cr,Cd,Pb,Hg,As等有害元素具有很强的吸附能力，是理想的低成本吸附剂，在废水处理中可用来取代活性炭或离子交换树脂来去除重金属等有害元素。     

Solubility of crude oil in methane as a function of pressure and temperature

The solubility of a 44° API (0.806 sp. gr.) whole crude oil has been measured in methane with water present at temperatures of 50 to 250°C and pressures of 740 to 14,852 psi, as have the solubilities of two high molecular weight petroleum distillation fractions at temperatures of 50 to 250°C and pressures of 4482 to 25,266 psi. Both increases in pressure and temperature increase the solubility of crude oil and petroleum distillation fractions in methane, the effect of pressure being greater than that of temperature. Unexpectedly high solubility levels (0.5–1.5 grams of oil per liter of methane—at laboratory temperature and pressure) were measured at moderate conditions (50–200°C and 5076–14504 psi). Similar results were found for the petroleum distillation fractions, one of which was the highest molecular weight material of petroleum (material boiling above 266°C at 6 microns pressure). Unexpectedly mild conditions (100°C and 15,200 psi; 200°C and 7513 psi) resulted in cosolubility of crude oil and methane. Under these conditions, samples of the gas-rich phase gave solubility values of 4 to 5 g/l, or greater.Qualitative analyses of the crude-oil solute samples showed that at low pressure and temperature equilibration conditions, the solute condensate would be enriched in C₅–C₁₅ range hydrocarbons and in saturated hydrocarbons in the C₁₅₊ fraction. With increases in temperature and especially pressure, these tendencies were reversed, and the solute condensate became identical to the starting crude oil.The data of this study, compared to that of previous studies, shows that methane, with water present, has a much greater carrying capacity for crude oil than in dry systems. The presence of water also drastically lowers the temperature and pressure conditions required for cosolubility.The data of this and/or previous studies demonstrate that the addition of carbon dioxide, ethane, propane, or butane to methane also has a strong positive effect on crude oil solubility, as does the presence of fine grained rocks.The n-paraffin distributions (as well as the overall composition) of the solute condensates are controlled by the temperature and pressure of solution and exsolution, as well as by the composition of the original starting material. It appears quite possible that primary migration by gaseous solution could ‘strip’ a source rock of crude-oil like components leaving behind a bitumen totally unlike the migrated crude oil. The data of this study demonstrate previous criticisms of primary petroleum migration by gas solution are invalid; that primary migration by gaseous solution cannot occur because methane cannot dissolve sufficient volumes of crude oil or cannot dissolve the highest molecular weight components of petroleum (tars and asphaltenes).     

The effects of crude oil and remediation burning on three clones of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora loisel.)

Burning has been employed as an oil spill remediation technique in coastal marshes, even though the combined and interactive effects of oil and burning on vegetation are poorly understood. Variation among clones of perennial marsh grasses in response to these perturbations is not known. We performed a greenhouse experiment designed to assess the effects of Venezuelan crude oil alone and of oil followed by burning on three clonal genets ofSpartina alterniflora. The fully-crossed 6-mo experiment involved five dosages of oil (0 l m⁻², 4 l m⁻², 8 l m⁻², 16 l m⁻², and 24 l m⁻²) and two burn treatments (burned or unburned) applied to ramets from three clones. All oil-only dosages reduced survival, but burning after oiling (oil + burn treatments) increased survival relative to oil-only groups in all except the highest two oil dosages. Higher oil-only treatments also reduced ramet densities and inhibited density increases over 6 mo. Burning after treatment with the 16 l m⁻² oil concentration allowed increased production of new ramets, but burning exacerbated the negative impacts on ramet density at the oil concentration of 24 l m⁻². At some intermediate oil dosages, burning remediated the negative effects of oil on aboveground biomass production and growth in height. There was a significant effect of oil-only treatments on numbers of flowering ramets produced, in which two clones responded with decreased flower production and one exhibited increased flowering. There was no main effect of oil + burn on flowering. There were significant among-clones differences in all response variables to one or both treatments. Our experiment demonstrates that burning of oiledS. alterniflora marshes may have little measurable effect at low levels of Venezuelan crude oil, can remediate the effects of oil at intermediate oil concentrations, but can increase the negative impacts at high concentrations of oil. These results indicate that oil spills have the potential to adversely affect genetic diversity inS. alterniflora populations by eliminating some sensitive clonal variants or changing the relative dominance of genets. These results suggest certain clones may be better suited for phytoremediation or restoration planting following oil spills.     

Distribution of diaromatic nitrogen bases in crude oils

Azanaphthalene derivatives were identified in 9 petroleum samples. In all investigated crude oils; the number of alkyl substituents was found to extend up to C₉ with a maximum most often for C₆; unsubstituted parent compounds are absent. Two distinct types of azanaphthalenes occur: solely methylated derivatives which are abundant in most crude oils of Cretaceous or Miocene ages, and compounds bearing alkyl chains of up to 4 carbon atoms, with a majority of 8-isopropyl quinoline derivatives, which dominate in a California crude oil of Pliocene age.     

酒西盆地石油非均质性的控制因素

运用先进的分析测试手段对来自酒西盆地六个油田的 2 0多个油样进行了全油碳同位素、饱和烃气相色谱与质量色谱及正构烷烃分子碳同位素等较为全面的分析与研究。确定源岩相、水洗、生物降解作用与成熟度不是酒西盆地石油非均质性的控制因素。最后选取 1 5个油样进行中性吡咯氮化合物分析,用中性吡咯氮中的咔唑类化合物作为运移参数,较为详细地研究原油的运移分馏作用。此类化合物作为运移参数的基本原理是石油运移过程中,不同结构的咔唑类化合物与水及岩石中矿物发生吸咐作用的强烈程度不同,导致不同的运移分馏作用。根据咔唑类化合物的变化得出控制酒西盆地石油组成非均质性的主要因素是油气运移分馏作用,证实酒西盆地石油运移方向主要是从西至东,青西凹陷是其油源区。     

原油与硫酸盐的热化学硫酸盐还原反应模拟实验及动力学研究

利用高压釜反应装置,在一定温度和压力下考察了吐哈原油和胜利原油与硫酸镁的热化学还原反应,热模拟实验在350～450℃含水条件下进行。利用库仑仪和气相色谱仪对反应后的气体产物进行分析,油相的总硫含量用库仑仪进行测定,固体产物组成利用红外光谱仪与X射线衍射仪进行分析,并对反应动力学进行了研究。结果表明,原油中的LSC含量对...     

Equilibrium sorption of crude oil by expanded perlite using different adsorption isotherms at 298.15 k

During the past decades, a significant increase occurred in accidental oil spill in the aquatic environments. In this regard, oil spill in Marine freshwater is still considered as a major environmental hazard. In this research, the experimental data on the sorption capacity of expanded perlite to crude oil were correlated with the equilibrium isotherm of Langmuir, Freudlich, Tempkin and the three parameter Redlich-Peterson isotherms. The results obtained from each specified isotherms were compared and accuracy of the models were favorably discussed. Accuracy of each model using the error function were evaluated. Moreover, the effect of type of objective function on the final results was investigated. To bring up the idea; the sum of square of the average squares of the errors, the sum of the squares of the errors, the hybrid fractional error function, Marquardt’s percent standard deviation and Chi-Square objective function were used and the accuracy was obtained using each objective function. The results showed that the Redlich-Peterson model can better represent the equilibrium isotherm data for the crude oil to be up taken on the expanded perlite.     

Simulation of the movement and dispersion of oil slicks in the Arabian Gulf

The extensive oil drilling and transportation activities in the Arabian Gulf increased the possibility of oil spills and the consequent threat of oil pollution to the regional ecology. The available literature concerning the main aspects of the physical oceanographic characteristics affecting the movement and spreading of oil spill in the Gulf are reviewed. It is concluded that evaporation, wind-driven currents, and sandfall are important as weathering processes, while tidal currents cause lateral spreading of the slick. Oil spill modelling has shown some usefulness in estimating the trajectories of few major spills illustrated by reference to three models developed for the Gulf. The performance of these models, their capabilities and limitations are reviewed. Recommendations are made to gather more data on the behavior of oil spills in this particular environment.     

Real-time application of an oil spill movement prediction system

This paper deals with the prediction, in real time, of the motion of experimental oil slicks. The experiments were conducted during September 1983 offshore near Halifax on the east coast of Canada. The objectives of the experiments were (i) to determine the suitability of oil spill dispersants as countermeasures and (ii) the testing and verification of oil spill trajectory models and systems.The Atmospheric Environment Service (AES) participated in the experiments to test the capability of its oil spill motion prediction system in providing real-time trajectory forecasts. The experiment consisted of three sets of spills. Each set had a control slick and a test slick. Sixteen barrels of crude oil were used in each spill. The test slicks were used to test the effectiveness of various dispersants, the control slicks were used to verify trajectory forecasts.The spill trajectories and oil weathering information obtained from the system during the experiments demonstrated the relative ease with which the system could handle the required input and provide timely forecasts. The accuracy of these forecast trajectories was confirmed by observations, and their utility was demonstrated by their application in the operational decision-making process.     

Population structures shift during the biodegradation of crude and fuel oil by an indigenous consortium

Petroleum and fuel oil are complex mixtures of recalcitrant hydrocarbons. The biodegradation of these hydrocarbons needs the action of a vast variety of enzymatic capacities. A microbial consortium offers the capability to degrade complex substrates through the assembly of different biochemical reactions, providing a metabolic versatility superior to axenic cultures. In this work, the microbial population dynamics, taxonomy, and the catabolic capacity of a stabilized consortium exposed to fuel and crude oil was analyzed through metagenomics. The stabilized consortium degraded 59% of crude oil components after 8 days, and 34% of fuel oil components after 130 days. Population dynamics analysis indicates that in fuel oil the biodiversity richness was higher; however, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis similarity dendrogram shows significant changes in the microbial population during crude oil degradation. Taxonomy studies indicate a great genera divergence; only eight microbial genera were common in both samples. In crude oil, the Limnobacter sp. was the most abundant specie (15.6%), while Sphingomonas wittichii (7.9%) and Novosphingobium aromaticivorans (7.6%) were abundant in fuel oil. These microorganisms have been reported to participate in the degradation of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Functional analysis suggests that fuel and crude oil components changed the interactions between the consortium members affecting the collective metabolic functionality.     

Interaction study of clay-bearing amphibolite–crude oil–saline water: Molecular level implications for enhanced oil recovery during low saline water flooding

Low saline water flooding (LSWF) had proved to be an efficient method for enhanced oil recovery in clay-bearing hydrocarbon reservoirs, but the interaction mechanisms among in-situ rocks – fluids and injection fluids within the reservoir – are not yet known properly. Understanding the molecular level interaction among these components is critical for designing and field scale implementation of LSWF in clay-bearing crystalline reservoir rocks, which is very limited in the existing literature. A weathered amphibolite rock and one dead crude oil from the Bakrol field (Cambay basin, India) have been used in this study. The presence of clay minerals in the weathered amphibolite rock was observed using a polarising microscope and characterised by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques. The crude oil and its fractionated SARA components have been extensively studied by spectroscopic techniques for their characterisation. The interaction study among the rock powder, hydrocarbon crude oil and saline water has been performed in the present work for gaining better insight for designing the injection fluid for LSWF. The weathered amphibolite rock powder was mixed with the dead crude oil and kept for 30 days in room temperature (T) and pressure (P) for proper interaction. The XRD, FTIR and cation exchange capacity results clearly demonstrated the incorporation of crude oil components in the interlayer surfaces of clay minerals. The oil removal efficiency, from the oil-treated rock powder of three saline water samples having NaCl concentration of 3000, 5000 and 8000 ppm, was investigated using the UV–Vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. The low saline NaCl water is capable of removing the maximum amount of polar components from the oil-treated rock powder. These molecular level insights are valuable for designing effective injection fluid for enhancing the oil recovery from the clay-rich crystalline reservoir rock.