Aircraft Measurements in the Gas Cloud from the Blowout at an Oil Platform in the North Sea

Abstract

A wind-directional sampler for determination of dust-deposition rates has been developed, enabling the measurement of dust-deposition caused by a specific source and, at the same time, providing information on the dust-deposition rate for the background area. The sampler is called METDUST. This paper describes the results of a field evaluation of the METDUST sampler. The field evaluation was performed in a village in Southern Jutland, Denmark, where complaints of dust-deposition had occurred close to a power plant with large stockpiles of coal. The results showed that, out of a 9-month period, increased dust-deposition occurred downwind from the stockpiles during 4 months. Episodes were identified by comparison with the background deposition rate. The METDUST sampler offers an opportunity to measure the dust-deposition rate contributed by the source and the background simultaneously. It can, therefore, be used by environmental authorities to identify the “likelihood of complaint” and to define a suitable guideline for the case in question.