Modeling the transport and fate of spilled crude oil is important for estimating short and long-term toxicity effects in coastal ecosystems. This research project investigates the partitioning of hydrocarbons from a surface crude oil slick, the resurfacing of chemically dispersed crude oil droplets, the suitability of in-situ field instruments for oil and sediment characterization, and the aggregation and settling of dispersed oil and suspended sediments. An initial laboratory study was conducted to investigate apparent hydrocarbon solubility in petroleum/water systems. Mixing shear and initial crude oil layer thickness were related empirically to oil entrainment rate. A model describing hydrocarbons partitioned in colloidal and soluble phases was consistent with experimental data. A second laboratory study was conducted to investigate the influence of coalescence kinetics on mean droplet size and resurfacing rate of chemically dispersed crude oil droplets. Increased mean shear rates resulted in mean droplet diameters and oil resurfacing rates. A third laboratory study was conducted to compare particle size and fractal dimension measurements obtained using a submersible flow cytometer, an electrozone particle counter, and a light scattering particle sizer. Measured particles included latex beads, crude oil, clay, crude oil-clay aggregates, and crude oil-silica aggregates. Tested instruments gave consistent size measurements for all particle systems, suggesting their suitability for sizing marine particles. To describe the aggregation kinetics of oil-sediment systems, a modified Smoluchowski model based on coalesced sphere (CS) assumptions was developed. Observed collision efficiency values (αOBS) were related to collision efficiency values for single particle type systems (αHOMO) and those for two particle type systems (αHET) using a probabilistic approach. For clay and crude oil, αHOMO values were higher than the αHOMO value for silica. Clay-oil and silica-oil have similar αHET values. Thus, crude oil can significantly increase the aggregation rates of noncohesive sediments such as silica. The CS model above was modified to incorporate sediment fractal geometry. The ability of this modified coalesced fractal sphere (mCFS) model to fit experimental data sets was better than that of a coalesced sphere (CS) model. Because of their reduced settling rates, sediments with lower fractal dimension form more aggregate with dispersed oil.

The purpose of this study is to isolate and identify the crude oil-degrading bacteria from oil polluted soil. Their physiological characteristics and oil-degrading capability were also studied. Eight polluted soil samples were taken from the Kaohsiung Refingery Factory of the Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC). The microbiota of the Kaohsiung refinery soil sample P37-2 (#6) could degrade crude oil from 2000 ppm to 572 ppm in 10 days. Bacteria in polluted soil samples were selected and isolated by minimal medium with 2000 ppm crude oil as the sole carbon source. Biochemical test, PCR-DGGE, and 16S DNA sequencing were used to identify and characterize the bacteria isolates. Three strains were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NSYSU-1-1), Acinetobacter sp. (NSYSU-4-1), and Pseudomonas sp. (NSYSU-7-1). These three strains and microbiota #6 were tested for their capability of degrading the total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). We found that microbiota #6 performed better than the other three bacterial strains in degrading the crude oil. In this study, we also found temperature was not the major factor of influcing the biodegradation; however, high oxygen concentration and providing nitrogen soure couled improve the biodegradation rate. Although both NSYSU-1-1 and NSYSU-7-1 are Pseudomonas strains, they performed different on degrading the oil. All strains tested could degrade the crude oil to a concentration below 1000 ppm to meet the government emission standard. The bacterial strains and techniques developed in this study provide a choice for future bioremediation of crude oil pollution.

For the purpose of creating a sustainable environment for the future generation, the government has recognized the importance of renewable resources, and actively takes on the strategies and measures by promoting the industries to recycling wastes in order to effectively improve the physical fitness of the industry. There are various ways to recycle waste materials, depends on the technology and the applications, one waste material can be classified into different ranks of recycled resource. Also, the market value of the recycled resource is judged by its ability to substitute the existing goods on the market. Because of the high proportion of galvanized steel in the steel scrap, zinc would vaporize during the high temperature process; as a result, the electric arc furnace dust (EAF dust) would contain high proportion of zinc. According to the existing recycling technology, the proportion of zinc in EAF dust is around 20% to 30%, which is a valuable secondary resource for producing zinc. This research focuses on the recycling industry; the aim of this research is to find out its future trend and the bottlenecks to be overcome. Hopefully come up with constructive suggestions and specific strategies and measures. The results suggest that the officials should set up standards for recycled products. What is also important is that the government should better plan the policies and regulations for recycling industry. Moreover, the results also show the users of the recycled materials care most about the quality of the product. Hence, the producers of crude zinc oxide should form strategic alliance in order to each the economic scales of production and develop recycling technology to elevate the quality of crude zinc oxide. Once the production meets the market demand, it will be able to expand the sales channels and establish a stable profit.

Methane emissions of 60 steers (321 ± 14 kg) fed isocaloric forage diets differing in crude protein (CP) content were measured at ambient daily temperatures averaging -17.5°C to determine if increased nitrogen status, measured by blood urea nitrogen (BUN), decrease CH4 as a percent of gross energy intake (% GEI) from backgrounding cattle. Average BUN concentrations (mmol L-1) were 0.81, 1.82, 3.05 and 3.51 (SE ± 0.108) for diets with 6.9% (low), 10.3% (adequate for rumen microbes), 11.1% (adequate for muscle growth) and 13.6% (excessive) CP respectively. Methane (% GEI) emissions decreased with increasing CP over time (P=0.04). Increasing CP content increased BUN levels and decreased methane emissions (% GEI). Although models were developed to predict CH4 emissions (% GEI) from steers and cows using a backward-elimination process, BUN accounted for only 0.7 to 5.7% of the partial R2 and therefore has limited value when modelling methane emission predictions. / February 2016

No description available.

Environmental liability cases involving spilled or released petroleum products into ocean ecosystems require oil identification techniques that are unambiguous and conclusive, even in situations where oils have been subjected to secondary environmental processes, such as, evaporation and dissolution. The ability and functionality of the Compound Specific Isotope Correlation (CSIC) technique is tested to determine its reliability to characterize released petroleum using the carbon isotope ratios (13C/12C) of the individual gasoline-range compounds (C5-C9). In particular, this thesis studies the potential of CSIC as a robust diagnostic tool, to identify and correlate marine releases of oil with their sources, especially those having undergone evaporative weathering. Three crude oils (Alberta Sweet Mixed Blend, Lacula and Louisiana) added to synthetic seawater were exposed to mechanically simulated wave energy and controlled evaporative weathering at 10 oC. Time-series sampling of the gasoline-range vapour fractions from the headspace employed Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME). SPME-Continuous Flow-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (SPME-CF-IRMS) determined the molecular abundances and stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) of the gasoline-range compounds of the original and weathered oils. Evaporation rates over the maximum 20 hour period varied for the 3 study oils. Most (74%) of the individual compounds measured in the oils display a δ13C enrichment with progressive evaporation with approximately half of the compounds in all 3 oils showing fractionation of the carbon isotopes ≤ 0.5‰ within measurement precision. The magnitude of carbon isotope shift observed in compounds pre-vs. post-weathering ranges from 0 to 2.8 ±0.6‰. There is no clear relationship identified between the degree of 13C enrichment in the oils and groupings such as chemical class, structure or carbon number. The overall weighted average 13C enrichment for all compounds in the 3 oils is approximately 1‰. Toluene was the only compound consistently exhibiting comparatively high 13C enrichment (1.6‰, 1.8‰ and 2.8‰) in all 3 oils after evaporative weathering. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) treatment of the CSIC data set can reliably discriminate between the 3 oils despite evaporative weathering and δ13C changes. HCA is also able to unambiguously relate the three weathered oils back to their respective original unweathered oil. Diagnostic shifts in δ13C of individual compounds in an oil may potentially be used to trace weathered oils back to the source, and possibly give a estimation of time since release. However the typically rapid rate of evaporation for the gasoline-range fractions limits the time that an oil can be successfully identified by CSIC. / Graduate

No description available.

No description available.

The scope of this study is to provide an understanding of crude oil price determination. The approach to this general problem starts by identifying the key areas that will help us achieve the specific objectives of the research which are the derivation of both a theoretical and an empirical framework of price formation. The areas examined are: depletion theory (chapter one), the evolution of the oil industry's structure and pricing practices (chapter two), the literature concerned with explaining that evolution (chapter three). A critique of that literature enables the derivation of the theoretical framework which can be called the transition period scenario - the transition from the centrally planned industry of the 1950s to the competitive market of the 1980s. Crude oil prices since .1970 have been determined not by a cartel of producers but by an imperfect market, within which inefficiencies, imperfect information, lags in adjustment and uncertainty together with the major oil companies fading power and the OPEC group following rather than leading the market - despite the perception of it as a cartel - have all combined to formulate prices. The attempt to confirm or reject that framework by empirical testing starts by choosing a specific methodology which is believed to be superior to conventional econometric techniques: The Box and Jenkin's approach to modelling time series, testing for causality patterns and determining lead and lag relationships, by thorough empirical investigation of the data rather than by arbitrary specification of causality directions and lag structures (chapter four). Application of that methodology to the data collected yields the results presented in chapters six and seven, which confirm the basic hypothesis and supply the functions which describe the true behaviour of the system and can therefore be used for forecasting. The major conclusion emerging from the study is that OPEC should not be thought of as a cartel. The demand for crude oil being a derived demand, it is the final consumers who will in the end dictate whether or not we are likely to face further price crises or whether spot markets will be calm and orderly. Nevertheless, the high proportion of world reserves in OPEC member countries means that OPEC can assist in the prevention of abrupt price changes by assuming a supervisory role rather than attempting in vain to assume an administrating role.

The present study investigated the capability of Schizochytrium limacinum SR21 to utilize various industrial or agricultural by-products for the production of lipids. The substrates analyzed were used restaurant oil (yellow grease) and animal fat (white grease) derived crude glycerol from biodiesel production, and sweet sorghum juice. Crude glycerol is the primary by-product from biodiesel production - 0.66 lb is generated for each gallon of biodiesel produced. The crude glycerol can be purified and used in food, chemical, drug, and other industries. Purification however, is an expensive and complicated process therefore other economical uses of crude glycerol must be identified such as the one described in this study - fermentation of crude glycerol via S. limacinum SR21 to produce lipids which then serve as biodiesel feedstocks. Sweet sorghum juice is harvested from the sweet sorghum plant, a C4 plant possessing high photosynthetic efficiency and high sugar yield including glucose, sucrose, and fructose. The juice is typically used for white sugar production, but may be a good substitution for common substrates used in lipid production via S. limacinum SR21. S. limacinum SR21 is a fast growing microalga capable of accumulating large quantities of lipids, which have applications in human health products, biodiesel, and animal feed. In separate batch studies, S. limacinum SR21 was grown on each substrate and monitored. On crude glycerol derived from yellow grease, 25 and 35 g/l were the optimal doses for untreated and treated crude glycerol, respectively. Biomass dry weights of 8.3 and 11.3 g/l were attained for these doses, respectively. The highest crude lipid content of all doses, 73.3%, was with 35 g/l treated crude glycerol. Crude glycerol derived from animal fats also provided similar results to these. S. limacinum SR21 grown on sweet sorghum juice furnished similar biomass density and lipid content. The optimum does of 50% juice produced a biomass dry weight of 9.4 g/l and 73.4% lipid content. While biomass dry weight was lower than that grown on glucose (10.9 g/l), lipid content was higher than typical values (50%). Of the three sugars, only glucose was utilized for growth. The remaining medium may still be used for white sugar production since fructose and sucrose were not consumed. Both crude glycerol and sweet sorghum juice caused substrate inhibition at high doses, and presence of methanol in crude glycerol presented an additional prohibitory effect on cell growth. Major fatty acids were nearly identical among the lipids produced from different substrates. This research shows that at certain concentrations of both crude glycerol and sweet sorghum juice can be utilized by S. limacinum SR21 to yield substantial quantities of lipids. Based upon the results revealed from the batch stage studies, large scale lipid production from industrial or agricultural by-products could be a reality in the near future. This production process will: 1) eliminate excessive crude glycerol from the market, 2) produce high-value lipids in an environmentally friendly, economical, and sustainable way, and 3) provide lipid feedstocks for various industrial applications.