The fate of non-volatile petroleum hydrocarbons in refinery effluent entering Southampton Water
The fate of non-volatile petroleum hydrocarbons in refinery effluent entering Southampton Water
The gross composition and content of non-volatile petroleum hydrocarbons in the Esso Fawley rerincry effluent wan determined over the period 30.4.75 to 13.1.76. Water samples off the refinery effluent, the estuary water, and samples bf the sediments and biota were analysed by solvent extraction followed by separation of the hydrocarbon fraction by column chromatography. Five hydrocarbon compound groups were separated by thin layer chromatography (T.L.C.). Qualitative information was gained by gas liquid chromatography (C.L.C.) and fluorescence of samples on silica gel plates. The gas chromatographic traces were quantified by determining peak areas and the T.L.C. fractions by a dry combustion technique.The non-volatile input of refinery effluent during the period .30.4.75to 2.8.75 was estimated to be 1-2 tonnes per day, the total hydrocarbon input was in the region of 5-10 tonnes per day. There was direct evidence of an improvement in quality of the effluent during this period a a consequence of improvements in water handling, and there was indirect evidence of a more general improvement during tile 1970's.Processes such as biodegradation, evaporation, bubble ejection and sedimentation which may affect the ultimate fate of refinery, effluent were studied in laboratory experiments. Of these, adsorption cf hydrocarbons to sediment particles appeared to be the most important because of the rapid time scale of the process.The surface sediments were surveyed in the estuary and range from 0.1-0.3 mgC/gm dry weight in non-polluted area to 1-3 mgC/c7 dry weight in the sediments in the vicinity of the refinery outfalls.Sediment cores appeared to reflect the geochemical history of the refinery effluent, the highest concentration observed was C rkC/em dry weight. A crude estimate suggested that the sediments near the refinery contain about 4,000 tonnes of non-volatile. material. There ;eared to have been hurls or no biodegradation in the anaerobic LS Of te sediment core. AA predictive computer model was used to investigate the overall fate of the refinery input. It required that one, third of the non-volatile hydro= carbon material released to the estuary was removed from EE., s:ater column. The remaining 1,4000 krC/day was removed by tidal flushir. The, petroleum hydrocarbon content and the rite of depurnt off hydrocarbons of tho local commercial 'shellfish' erconaria Studied. The most effective.commercial clean-up process was polluted cater:.,this was superior to a .: ho;:r C.C. treatment plant.
University of Southampton
1978
Knap, Anthony Hayden
(1978)
The fate of non-volatile petroleum hydrocarbons in refinery effluent entering Southampton Water.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
The gross composition and content of non-volatile petroleum hydrocarbons in the Esso Fawley rerincry effluent wan determined over the period 30.4.75 to 13.1.76. Water samples off the refinery effluent, the estuary water, and samples bf the sediments and biota were analysed by solvent extraction followed by separation of the hydrocarbon fraction by column chromatography. Five hydrocarbon compound groups were separated by thin layer chromatography (T.L.C.). Qualitative information was gained by gas liquid chromatography (C.L.C.) and fluorescence of samples on silica gel plates. The gas chromatographic traces were quantified by determining peak areas and the T.L.C. fractions by a dry combustion technique.The non-volatile input of refinery effluent during the period .30.4.75to 2.8.75 was estimated to be 1-2 tonnes per day, the total hydrocarbon input was in the region of 5-10 tonnes per day. There was direct evidence of an improvement in quality of the effluent during this period a a consequence of improvements in water handling, and there was indirect evidence of a more general improvement during tile 1970's.Processes such as biodegradation, evaporation, bubble ejection and sedimentation which may affect the ultimate fate of refinery, effluent were studied in laboratory experiments. Of these, adsorption cf hydrocarbons to sediment particles appeared to be the most important because of the rapid time scale of the process.The surface sediments were surveyed in the estuary and range from 0.1-0.3 mgC/gm dry weight in non-polluted area to 1-3 mgC/c7 dry weight in the sediments in the vicinity of the refinery outfalls.Sediment cores appeared to reflect the geochemical history of the refinery effluent, the highest concentration observed was C rkC/em dry weight. A crude estimate suggested that the sediments near the refinery contain about 4,000 tonnes of non-volatile. material. There ;eared to have been hurls or no biodegradation in the anaerobic LS Of te sediment core. AA predictive computer model was used to investigate the overall fate of the refinery input. It required that one, third of the non-volatile hydro= carbon material released to the estuary was removed from EE., s:ater column. The remaining 1,4000 krC/day was removed by tidal flushir. The, petroleum hydrocarbon content and the rite of depurnt off hydrocarbons of tho local commercial 'shellfish' erconaria Studied. The most effective.commercial clean-up process was polluted cater:.,this was superior to a .: ho;:r C.C. treatment plant.
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Published date: 1978
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Local EPrints ID: 458832
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/458832
PURE UUID: 92ff3fb8-1f4c-4a47-95ee-f67a8e4b0c18
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 16:56
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 16:56
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Author:
Anthony Hayden Knap
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