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Determination of the concentration of hydrocarbons entering the water column during crude oil in situ burning

Tsatsaba Vasiliki

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Summary

Modern energy demands and the widespread use of hydrocarbons in various production categories result in the extraction of large volumes of oil. Despite high safety measures, the risks of leaks during extraction or accidents during oil transportation can lead to the formation of oil spills in the marine environment. The response to oil spills needs to be immediate, both to mitigate the significant damage they cause to the marine ecosystem and to prevent the spread of pollution. Conventional decontamination methods are either physical or chemical, and the choice of the appropriate methodology depends on the composition of the oil, weather conditions, and the characteristics of the area in question.The aim of this thesis was to examine the on-site combustion of oil to address oil spills. The advantages of this method are that if carried out under favorable conditions, it can remove a large volume of oil in a short period of time. However, the disadvantage is that residues of unburned oil remain in the marine ecosystem, and toxic by-products are produced, which return to the water column through the smoke of combustion after rainfall.In collaboration with the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), an experiment was conducted in mesocosms. The experiment was carried out to determine the concentrations of hydrocarbons under real combustion conditions. Sampling was done at regular intervals before, during, and after the combustion. The concentrations were calculated using a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In the analysis of the samples, particularly for PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons), an increase was observed immediately after combustion and a gradual decrease until day 14. The concentrations of saturated hydrocarbons in the combustion and sedimentation mesocosms did not yield useful results, as the concentrations of the combustion components were masked by the concentrations of microorganisms in the sample.The mussels present in the combustion mesocosm died by the 10th day of the experiment. In conclusion, while the on-site burning of oil spills can be quite effective under the right conditions, it requires special attention.

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