- Author
- Benner, B. A., Jr. | Bryner, N. P. | Wise, S. A. | Mulholland, G. W. | Evans, D. D. | Fingas, M. F. | Li, K.
- Title
- Emissions of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons From the Combustion of Crude Oil on Water.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD Environment Canada, Ottawa
- Journal
- Spill Technology Newsletter, Vol. 16, No. 1, 1-16, March 1991
- Keywords
- crude oil | water | polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | emissions | combustion | smoke | residues | cleaning | smoke yield | in situ burning
- Identifiers
- carbon quantification; fuel layer thickness; Alberta Sweet crude oil
- Abstract
- A study was performed of some of the factors necessary to assess the environmental impact of an in-situ burn: the fraction of an oil layer which can be burned, the quantity of smoke emitted, and the concentrations of 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the smoke, crude oil, and burn residue. Alberta Sweet Mixed-Blend crude in 2, 3, 5, 10 and 30 mm layers on water was burned and smoke samples were collected at elevated and ambient temperatures and analyzed by two independent laboratories. While burning the crude oil produced less total PAHs than was in the original crude oil, the concentrations of PAHs with five or more rings were 10 to 20 times greater in the smoke than in the oil. The organic carbon fraction of the smoke was in the range of 14 to 21%. As the fuel layer thickness was increased from 2 to 10 mm, the smoke yield increased from 0.035 to 0.080 g-smoke/g-fuel; and the percentage of oil residue decreased from 46% to 17%. By consuming much of the oil spill and reducing the amount of PAHs in the water, and by dispersing the combustion products over a larger area, in-situ burning can mitigate the local environmental impact of an oil spill. There appears to be a range of situations, such as in Arctic ice fields, where in-situ burning might be the most viable cleanup method.