Petroleum Hydrocarbons

The term “total petroleum hydrocarbons” (TPHs) is used for any mixture of several hundred hydrocarbons found in crude oil, and they represent the sum of volatile petroleum hydrocarbons and extractable petroleum hydrocarbons. The petrol-range organics include hydrocarbons from C6 to C10, while diesel-range organics are C10-C28 hydrocarbons. Environmental pollution by petroleum hydrocarbons is one of the major global concerns, particularly in oil-yielding countries. In fact, there are more than five million potentially contaminated areas worldwide that represent, in general, a lost economic opportunity and a threat to the health and well-being of humans and the environment. Petroleum-contaminated sites constitute almost one-third of the total sites polluted with chemicals around the globe. The land contamination caused by industrialization was recognized as early as the 1960s, but less than a tenth of potentially contaminated lands have been remediated due to the nature of the contamination, cost, technical impracticability, and insufficient land legislation and enforcement. This book is the first single source that provides comprehensive information on the different aspects of TPHs, such as sources and range of products, methods of analysis, fate and bioavailability, ecological implications including impact on human health, potential approaches for bioremediation such as risk-based remediation, and regulatory assessment procedures for TPH-contaminated sites. As such, it is a valuable resource for researchers, graduate students, technicians in the oil industry and remediation practitioners, as well as policy makers.

Since the early 1970s, experts have recognized that petroleum pollutants were being discharged in marine waters worldwide, from oil spills, vessel operations, and land-based sources. Public attention to oil spills has forced improvements. Still, a considerable amount of oil is discharged yearly into sensitive coastal environments. Oil in the Sea provides the best available estimate of oil pollutant discharge into marine waters, including an evaluation of the methods for assessing petroleum load and a discussion about the concerns these loads represent. Featuring close-up looks at the Exxon Valdez spill and other notable events, the book identifies important research questions and makes recommendations for better analysis ofâ€"and more effective measures againstâ€"pollutant discharge. The book discusses: Inputâ€"where the discharges come from, including the role of two-stroke engines used on recreational craft. Behavior or fateâ€"how oil is affected by processes such as evaporation as it moves through the marine environment. Effectsâ€"what we know about the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine organisms and ecosystems. Providing a needed update on a problem of international importance, this book will be of interest to energy policy makers, industry officials and managers, engineers and researchers, and advocates for the marine environment.

This series is dedicated to serving the growing community of scholars and practitioners concerned with the principles and applications of environ mental management. Each volume is a thorough treatment of a specific topic of importance for proper management practices. A fundamental objective of these books is to help the reader discern and implement man's stewardship of our environment and the world's renewable re sources. For we must strive to understand the relationship between man and nature, act to bring harmony to it, and nurture an environment that is both stable and productive. These objectives have often eluded us because the pursuit of other individual and societal goals has diverted us from a course of living in balance with the environment. At times, therefore, the environmental manager may have to exert restrictive control, which is usually best applied to man, not nature. Attempts to alter or harness nature have often failed or backfired, as exemplified by the results of imprudent use of herbicides, fertilizers, water, and other agents. Each book in this series will shed light on the fundamental and applied aspects of environmental management. It is hoped that each will help solve a practical and serious environmental problem.

Analyses data on the composition, structure and formation of various petroleum hydrocarbons: the alkanes, cycloalkanes and arenes. Attention is paid to biological markers, com- pounds that may have preserved the main structural features of the original biogenic molecules. Concepts of chemical classification of crude oils are reviewed with respect to the molecular mass distribution of biological markers, and the genesis and chemical evolution of petroleum hydrocarbons are discussed.

This book is a must-read for the latest generation of scientists, engineers, and researchers in the petroleum industry. The product of over four decades of research, experience, and study by Dr. Dwijen Banerjee, who carefully preserves the history of the thermal processing of hydrocarbons, giving credit to the pioneering scientists and discoverers of the process. In this first-of-its-kind book, the author summarizes and systematically leads readers through all aspects of the thermal cracking processes from the research laboratory to the commercial applications of the petrochemical industry. Fossil fuels consist of a continuous series of hydrocarbons mainly divided into natural gas (C1-C4), conventional crude oil (C5-C40), heavy oil/bitumen (>C40). This book discusses thermal processing of hydrocarbons -- with a special emphasis on lighter hydrocarbons -- whose main source is shale gas and tight oil that's recently been made abundant through fracking technology. This book details many technical parameters involved in choosing a process when considering the type of feedstocks; operating conditions; selectivity of the desired product; the market to be targeted; and the environmental regulations to be met while also considering the economic parameters such as the investment and profit margin that govern the final choice. Features and Benefits An introduction to the basic chemistry behind thermal processing, classifications, molecular structures, kinetics and thermodynamics, free radical reaction mechanisms, and product distributions. A focus on shale gas and tight oil production, properties, and processing as important sources of petrochemicals. Emphasis on the 'petroleum to petrochemicals' which has recently transformed the petroleum industry across the globe. An illustration of conversion technologies -- how the paraffinic hydrocarbons are converted into various petrochemicals and eventually lead to the finished products. Insight into the future of hydrocarbons based on environmental issues. Audience Scientists Engineers Researchers Students

This guide to bioremediation in cold regions is designed to aid environmental practitioners, industry, and regulators in the remediation of petroleum spills and contaminated sites in cold regions. Remediation design and technology used in temperate climates does not necessarily work in cold climates, and cleanup takes longer due to shorter treatment seasons, sub-freezing temperatures, ground freezing and thawing, and limited bioactivity. Environmental engineers and scientists from eight countries working in the polar regions combine their experiences and expertise with petroleum contamination to write this book. It contains in-depth discussions on regulations, freezing and frozen ground, identification and adaptations of cold-tolerant bacteria, contaminant transport in cold soils and permafrost, temperature effects on biodegradation, analytical methods, treatability studies, and nutritional requirements for bioremediation. Emphasis is given to practical and effective bioremediation methods for application in cold regions. Emerging technologies are also discussed.

Fate and Effects of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Marine Organisms and Ecosystems is a collection of papers presented at the international symposium by the same title, held at the Olympic Hotel in Seattle, Washington on November 10-12, 1976. This book is organized into three parts encompassing 46 chapters. Part I deals with the inputs and physical transport processes influencing the distribution and composition of petroleum hydrocarbons in marine systems. Part II discusses the bioaccumulation and metabolism of hydrocarbons by marine organisms. Part III contains papers that tackle the biological and ecological effects of petroleum exposure in marine systems. This book is of great value to marine and environmental scientists and researchers.