海洋石油工程新型溢油监测系统的研究

随着海洋石油的开采力度的加大,海上平台溢油事故也不断发生。在对传统监测方式的不足和海上溢油监测技术未来发展的趋势进行了综合考虑之后,开发了一套基于紫外诱导荧光探测技术的溢油监测系统。监测系统主要由检测终端、数据采集及异常报警系统和计算机处理及显示终端3个子模块组成,可以实现对海上平台潜在油污染源头信息的实时收集、传输、预警等功能。     

江苏海岸湿地水质污染特征与海陆一体化调控

2000年江苏海岸湿地人海河流河口淡水监测断面有30％的水质处于劣Ⅴ类,满足Ⅲ类水质的仅占10％;近岸海域海水监测断面有50％的水质处于Ⅳ标准。人类扰动的频率与强度的日益加大是水质污染的主要原因,而河流携带大量污染物是水质污染的主要途径。江苏海岸湿地水质污染防治的关键在于流域海陆水环境系统的一体化调控,侧重点是调控技术路线和水质污染控制层次的设计。环境管理控制区划的方案是：横向上由陆向海划分为上游流域、近岸陆域、海岸湿地和离岸海域4个环境控制带;纵向上自北向南以水系汇流特征、行政区划特征、海域特点划分为Ⅳ类环境功能区及若干亚区。     

分散剂在溢油污染控制中的应用

使用分散剂来控制海上溢油污染是常用的应急措施之一。本文介绍了油分散剂的发展历史、作用机理及其优越性 ,列出了分散剂用于溢油污染控制的实例。针对分散剂使用中存在的问题 ,指出施加分散剂时应综合考虑多种因素 ,并做环境风险评价。最后根据我国的实际情况 ,提出应加强与分散剂有关的科学研究     

分散剂在溢油污染控制中的应用

使用分散剂来控制海上溢油污染是常用的应急措施之一。本文介绍了油分散剂的发展历史、作用机理及其优越性，列出了分散剂用于溢油污染控制的实例。针对分散剂使用中存在的问题，指出施加分散剂时应综合考虑多种因素，并做环境风险评价。最后根据我国的实际情况，提出应加强与分散剂有关的科学研究。     

海上船舶溢油事故模糊评估与决策分析

随着海洋运输业的高速发展,通航环境日趋复杂,船舶溢油事故风险不断加大,溢油事故对环境的破坏已经引起社会各界的高度关注。以青岛市附近海域为研究对象,采用层次分析法确定水文气象情况、清污情况、油污染情况和溢油地点情况评价指标各因子权重,并通过Arc GIS的Model Builder环境建立自动化数据处理流程对研究区域做出了模糊综合评估,得到了溢油区域的事故危害评估结果,为划定事故区域隔离带、规划清污船只航行路径以及降低海上溢油事故影响提供了指导性的依据。     

溢油清除水面机器人在海洋石油污染处理中的应用

为解决现有清除溢油技术存在的效率低、自动化程度低、成本高等问题,针对其无法适应海面油污清理的机械化、智能化的需求,自主研发了一种超疏水亲油材料,即泡沫金属基浮油收集材料,设计并制作了溢油回收装置,结合自主水面机器人平台,研制出溢油清除水面机器人系统,该系统具有自主持续性吸油、自主巡航、自动识别油污等功能。实验表明,该超疏水亲油材料吸油效果良好,效率高,且吸油材料能够循环利用。通过水面机器人模拟测试分析可知,该溢油清除水面机器人系统能够实现海面油污清除的智能化、自动化,且具有较好的发展前景和应用前景。     

围油栏在急流溢油应用中存在的问题与应对措施研究

分析了围油栏在急流溢油应用中存在的四种典型问题:溢油逃溢、溢油泄漏、溢油飞溅、围油栏不稳定性,研究讨论了四种相应的围油栏的应对措施,包括围油栏与水流成一定角度布放、围油栏以一定速度相对水流运动、采用急流分流器系统、实行多级重叠布放围油栏、优选围油栏以及围油栏顶部底部设置绳索,为急流条件下溢油污染的防治提供参考与借鉴。     

膨胀石墨在环境污染治理中的应用

膨胀石墨是一种新型的多孔碳质吸附材料.它具有发达的孔结构,对于大分子的物质具有超大的吸附能力.膨胀石墨作为新型纳米功能材料,广泛应用于石油、化工、冶金、机械和环保等领域.在概述膨胀石墨的吸附性能和机理的基础上,介绍了其在海洋溢油污染、水中微量油污染、印染废水和有毒气体治理等方面的应用,并对膨胀石墨的最新合成方法和应用发展趋势进行了展望和预测.     

三维荧光联合气相色谱/质谱快速溢油鉴别技术研究

通过一个具体溢油事例的研究,提出了通过三维荧光联合气相色谱/质谱(GC/MS)进行海面溢油鉴别的方法。采用三维荧光指纹信息(谱图形状、荧光特征峰位置、荧光特征峰强度)对14个可疑溢油源样品进行筛选,排除了13个可疑溢油源样品后,再利用GC/MS方法对溢油样品以及剩余可疑溢油源样品中难降解的生物标志化合物(饱和链烷烃、萜烷、甾烷、多环芳烃)进行分析,计算相应的诊断比值并采用"重复性限"方法进行溢油样品和可疑溢油源样品的鉴别分析。结果表明,溢油样品与其中的一个可疑溢油源样品一致,为同一来源;采用三维荧光联合GC/MS进行海面溢油鉴别,既可保证鉴别的准确性,又可大幅度减少检测工作量,缩短鉴定周期。     

水域中油污染处理剂主要成分的结构鉴定

近年来,由于海底石油开发装置和输油管的破损以及油轮的偶然溢油事故,引起了海洋、港口的污染,对水产、渔业和人类带来严重危害,引起了世界各国的注意。因此,采取了一系列措施消除污染,使用油处理剂就是其中的一种。油处理剂的作用就是将油分散消失于广阔海域中,并为进一步生物降解提供条件。为此,世界各国都在努力合成和使用     

Investigation of evaporation and biodegradation of fuel spills in Antarctica: II-extent of natural attenuation at Casey Station

In many temperate regions, fuel and oil spills are sometimes managed simply by allowing natural degradation to occur, while monitoring soils and groundwater to ensure that there is no off-site migration or on-site impact. To critically assess whether this approach is suitable for coastal Antarctic sites, we investigated the extent of evaporation and biodegradation at three old fuel spills at Casey Station. Where the contaminants migrated across frozen ground, probably beneath snow, approximately half the fuel evaporated in the first few months prior to infiltration at the beginning of summer. Once in the ground, however, evaporation rates were negligible. In contrast, minor spills from fuel drums buried in an abandoned waste disposal site did not evaporate to the same extent. Biodegradation within all three spill sites is generally very minor. We conclude that natural attenuation is not a suitable management strategy for fuel-contaminated soils in Antarctic coastal regions.     

Multifunctional metal-organic frameworks in oil spills and associated organic pollutant remediation

The release of toxic organic compounds into the environment in an event of oil spillage is a global menace due to the potential impacts on the ecosystem. Several approaches have been employed for oil spills clean-up, with adsorption technique proven to be more promising for the total reclamation of a polluted site. Of the several adsorbents so far reported, adsorbent-based porous materials have gained attention for the reduction/total removal of different compounds in environmental remediation applications. The superior potential of mesoporous materials based on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) against conventional adsorbents is due to their intriguing and enhanced properties. Therefore, this review presents recent development in MOF composites; methods of preparation; and their practical applications towards remediating oil spill, organic pollutants, and toxic gases in different environmental media, as well as potential materials in the possible deployment in reclaiming the polluted Niger Delta due to unabated oil spillage and gas flaring.

     

Econometric modelling, estimation and policy analysis of oil spill processes

This paper explores approaches to model specification suitable for empirical investigation of a stochastic oil spill model. We focus on the effects of economic incentive measures on the frequency of oil spills, spill size, and volume of oil spilled. We look into the relationships between parameters that describe the spill generation process and the enforcement effort, using data for the Black and Baltic Seas.     

Ambient air concentrations exceeded health-based standards for fine particulate matter and benzene during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is considered one of the largest marine oil spills in the history of the United States. Air emissions associated with the oil spill caused concern among residents of Southeast Louisiana. The purpose of this study was to assess ambient concentrations of benzene (n=3,887) and fine particulate matter (n=102,682) during the oil spill and to evaluate potential exposure disparities in the region. Benzene and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in the targeted parishes were generally higher following the oil spill, as expected. Benzene concentrations reached 2 to 19 times higher than background, and daily exceedances of PM2.5 were 10 to 45 times higher than background. Both benzene and PM2.5 concentrations were considered high enough to exceed public health criteria, with measurable exposure disparities in the coastal areas closer to the spill and clean-up activities. These findings raise questions about public disclosure of environmental health risks associated with the oil spill. The findings also provide a science-based rationale for establishing health-based action levels in future disasters.

Implications: Benzene and particulate matter monitoring during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill revealed that ambient air quality was a likely threat to public health and that residents in coastal Louisiana experienced significantly greater exposures than urban residents. Threshold air pollution levels established for the oil spill apparently were not used as a basis for informing the public about these potential health impacts. Also, despite carrying out the most comprehensive air monitoring ever conducted in the region, none of the agencies involved provided integrated analysis of the data or conclusive statements about public health risk. Better information about real-time risk is needed in future environmental disasters.     

Comparing sediment quality in Spanish littoral areas affected by acute (Prestige, 2002) and chronic (Bay of Algeciras) oil spills

The quality of sediments collected from two areas of the Spanish coast affected by different sources of contaminants has been compared in this study. The areas studied are the coast of Galicia affected by the oil spill from the tanker Prestige (November 2002) and the Gulf of Cádiz which suffers continuous inputs of contaminants from industries located in the area and from oil spills. Contamination by several chemicals (metals, PCBs and PAHs) that bind to sediments was analyzed, and two toxicity tests (Microtox) and amphipod 10-day bioassay) were conducted. PAHs were identified as the compounds responsible for the toxic effects. Results show differences between an acute impact related to the sinking of the tanker Prestige and the chronic impact associated with continuous oil spills associated with the maritime and industrial activities in the Bay of Algeciras, this being the most polluted part of the two coastal areas studied in this work.     

Brazilian Oil Spills Chemical Characterization--Case Studies

In the last decade, PETROBRAS has experienced some significant oil spills cases and the PETROBRAS Research Center has played an important role in the company emergency response program by characterizing the spilled oil, monitoring the affected ecosystem, determining the fate of the oil in the environment, and, subsequently, helping the company in assessing the environmental damage. This paper presents the use of advanced chemical analytical techniques (GC/FID, P&T/GC/PID and GC/MS) in some Brazilian oil spill studies in order to determine fractions and individual petroleum hydrocarbons in different matrices such as water, groundwater, sediment, sand, fish and the spilled oil itself. The spill studies encompassed crude and fuel oil releases on land and coastal ecosystems, related to the incidents in Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro), Barigui and Iguassu Rivers (Parana) and Sao Sebastiao Channel (Sao Paulo). Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), n -alkanes, isoprenoids, unresolved complex mixtures (UCM), volatile monoaromatic compounds--benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX), parent and alkylated homologues polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and terpanes and steranes were characterized for determining correlation to the spilled oil and other known oil sources and environmental assessment. Some of the acute ecotoxicity data for water and sediment samples is also presented.     

Brazilian Oil Spills Chemical Characterization—Case Studies

In the last decade, PETROBRAS has experienced some significant oil spills cases and the PETROBRAS Research Center has played an important role in the company emergency response program by characterizing the spilled oil, monitoring the affected ecosystem, determining the fate of the oil in the environment, and, subsequently, helping the company in assessing the environmental damage. This paper presents the use of advanced chemical analytical techniques (GC/FID, P&T/GC/PID and GC/MS) in some Brazilian oil spill studies in order to determine fractions and individual petroleum hydrocarbons in different matrices such as water, groundwater, sediment, sand, fish and the spilled oil itself. The spill studies encompassed crude and fuel oil releases on land and coastal ecosystems, related to the incidents in Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro), Barigui and Iguassu Rivers (Parana) and Sao Sebastiao Channel (Sao Paulo). Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), n -alkanes, isoprenoids, unresolved complex mixtures (UCM), volatile monoaromatic compounds—benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX), parent and alkylated homologues polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and terpanes and steranes were characterized for determining correlation to the spilled oil and other known oil sources and environmental assessment. Some of the acute ecotoxicity data for water and sediment samples is also presented.     

New generation material for oil spill cleanup

Three-dimensional graphene-based materials promise oil spill cleanup in water at throughputs much higher than state-of-the-art oil–water separation materials.     

Effects of an oil spill in a harbor assessed using biomarkers of exposure in eelpout

Oil spills occur commonly, and chemical compounds originating from oil spills are widespread in the aquatic environment. In order to monitor effects of a bunker oil spill on the aquatic environment, biomarker responses were measured in eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) sampled along a gradient in Göteborg harbor where the oil spill occurred and at a reference site, 2 weeks after the oil spill. Eelpout were also exposed to the bunker oil in a laboratory study to validate field data. The results show that eelpout from the Göteborg harbor are influenced by contaminants, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), also during “normal” conditions. The bunker oil spill strongly enhanced the biomarker responses. Results show elevated ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activities in all exposed sites, but, closest to the oil spill, the EROD activity was partly inhibited, possibly by PAHs. Elevated DNA adduct levels were also observed after the bunker oil spill. Chemical analyses of bile revealed high concentrations of PAH metabolites in the eelpout exposed to the oil, and the same PAH metabolite profile was evident both in eelpout sampled in the harbor and in the eelpout exposed to the bunker oil in the laboratory study.     

The Threats from Oil Spills: Now, Then, and in the Future

The ongoing oil spill from the blown-out well by the name of Macondo, drilled by the ill-fated rig Deepwater Horizon, has many features in common with another blowout in the Mexican Gulf that happened three decades ago. Then the oil gushed out from the Ixtoc I well drilled by the Sedco 135-F semi-submersible rig. In the years between these catastrophes, the source and nature of oil spills have undergone large changes. Huge spills from tankers that ran aground or collided used to be what caught the headlines and caused large ecological damage. The number and size of such accidental spills have decreased significantly. Instead, spills from ageing, ill-maintained or sabotaged pipelines have increased, and places like Arctic Russia, the Niger Delta, and the northwestern Amazon have become sites of reoccurring oil pollution. As for blowouts, there is no clear trend with regard to the number of incidences or amounts of spilled oil, but deepwater blowouts are much harder to cap and thus tend to go on longer and result in the release of larger quantities of oil. Also, oil exploration and extraction is moving into ever-deeper water and into stormier and icier seas, increasing potential risks. The risk for reoccurring spills like the two huge Mexican Gulf ones is eminent and must be reduced.