Bilge Oil Research Articles

Identification of bilge oil with lubricant: Recent oil spill case studies

Oil spills have many adverse effects on the marine environment. Bilge oil spills occur frequently in the sea as a result of maritime accidents or illegal discharge. It is difficult to unambiguously identify the specific sources of such spills because bilge oil contains a mixture of fuel oil and lubricant. In this study, bilge oils with different fuel oil/lubricant ratios were prepared and analyzed using a modified version of the CEN/TR methodology (European Committee for Standardization, 2012). As the lubricant content of bilge oil increased, the intensity of the C20–C24 group, which is the commonly-used normalization compound group for fuel oil in the percentage weathering (PW) plot, also changed. Therefore, the mean area of the C15–C18 group, which was affected by the lubricant content, was used instead. Although heavy fuel oil is usually normalized to a hopane, bilge oil with a high lubricant content cannot be analyzed based on a mass spectrometry (MS)–PW plot; thus, heavy fuel oil-based bilge oil was normalized to a phytane in this study. Although hopanes and styrenes are unsuitable comparison compounds for heavy fuel oil-based bilge oil analysis, for light fuel oil-based bilge oil, hopanes and steranes could be applied as diagnostic ratio comparisons when the lubricant peak was clearly detected in the chromatograms of the spilled and suspected oil samples. By applying the CEN/TR methodology according to this approach, the similarities between spilled and suspected oil samples were more easily revealed. In addition, the field applicability of the proposed method was tested for four actual oil spills.

Effect of Coolant Temperature and Stirring Rate in the Separation of Oil from Bilge Water using a Stirred Freeze Crystallizer

Each year, marine activities has contributed to nearly half of the discharged oil into the oceans, where 10% of it were dumped bilge oil. The tankers release oily and chemical residue, causing pollution to the marine environment due to excessive contamination of bilge water. Therefore, all marine ships over 400 tons are required to install an oil-water separator (OWS) system on board to limit the discharge of oil into the oceans. However, the current OWS technologies such as gravity and centrifugation method have difficulties to comply with the oil/grease discharge standard of 15 mg/L set by Malaysia’s Department of Environment (DOE). This paper aims to introduce progressive freezing (PF) process as a new OWS method where it separates two liquid compounds based on their freezing point difference. One with higher freezing point will solidify first while another one will remain as liquid. In this study, the effect of coolant temperature and stirring rate towards oil/grease values were investigated. It was found that the highest efficiency of the PF process was obtained at stirring rate of 200 rpm and coolant temperature of -6°C. In addition, the best oil/grease value obtained was found to be lower than the discharge standard permitted by the Department of Environment (DOE), Malaysia.

English

Reef HQ Aquarium (Townsville, Australia) pumps its new exhibit seawater from a tidal inlet. This study presents the in-house calibration of a bioassay based on juvenile mysids to do a rapid assessment (presence or absence) of toxicity in the new seawater. Calibration tests were carried out for several substances: copper, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS or SDS), ammonia, antifouling paint, bilge oil from a yacht, oil from a dive compressor, seawater cooling effluent from a commercial ferry vessel, and aquarium tank water. Results were compared with two other bioassays already in use at Reef HQ Aquarium, based on (a) artemia hatched from aquaculture cysts and (b) Vibrio fischeri bacteria (Microtox®). This study determined (a) that the juvenile mysids bioassay yielded meaningful results and was viable operationally, (b) its sensitivity with respect to likely local pollutants, and (c) how it compares in terms of sensitivity with the artemia and the Microtox® bioassays.   Key words: ARTOX, bioassay, mysid, Microtox®, Reef HQ Aquarium, seawater, toxicity.

폐유 및 액상연료 공정 폐기물에서 무기물질류의 함량특성

국내 유해폐기물의 적정 관리를 위해 폐유 및 액상연료 공정에서 발생한 폐기물 중 규제 무기물질류의 배출특성을 조사하였다. 사업장은 올바로시스템에 등록된 폐기물 배출업체를 대상으로, 유럽폐기물 분류체계(EWC, European Waste Catalogue)의 폐유 및 액상연료 공정(EWC 13)과 유사한 폐기물 발생업체를 선정하였다. 조사대상 사업장 37 개 업체를 현지 방문하여 원료, 생산제품, 생산 공정, 폐기물의 종류 및 배출과정을 조사하고 생산 공정에서 배출되는 51 개의 폐기물을 채취하여 무기물질류 16 항목(Cd, Pb, Cu, Hg, As, CN, Cr, <TEX>$Cr^{6+}$</TEX>, Ba, Be, F, Ni, Sb, Se, V, Zn)에 대한 함량분석을 수행하였다. 분석결과, 모든 공정에서 발생된 폐기물에서 주로 Sb가 검출되었고, 6~419(평균 98) mg/kg의 농도 범위를 나타내었다. EWC 판정 절차를 통해 국내 폐유 및 액상연료 공정에서 발생된 폐기물을 판정한 결과, EWC 중분류 24공정 중 절대유해폐기물로 분류해서 관리해야할 공정은 16 개, 상대유해폐기물로 관리가 필요한 공정은 8 개로 판단되었다. 폐기물의 배출특성을 통해 유해물질 함유 자료를 확보하고 폐기물 목록에 대한 데이터베이스를 구축함으로써 유해폐기물의 안전처리를 통한 환경오염을 방지할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. This study was performed to investigate the contents characteristics of hazardous oil wastes and wastes of liquid fuels from different industrial process. In order to establish a hazardous waste list, samples of various industrial discharge have been analyzed for 16 non-regulated inorganic hazardous substances (i.e., Cu, Pb, Cd, CN, Hg, As, T-Cr, <TEX>$Cr^{6+}$</TEX>, Sb, Ni, F, V, Ba, Zn, Be, Se). In more detail, hazardous waste samples including waste hydraulic oils, waste engine, gear and lubricating oils, waste insulating and heat transmission oils, bilge oils, oil/water separator contents processing were collected from 37 workplaces and analyzed. We observed that the most of the inorganic substances exceeded the proposed criteria in many samples. Especially the concentration of Sb in heat transmission oil, bilge oil and gear & lubricating oils were ranged from 6 to 419 mg/kg whereas the proposed criteria is 50 mg/kg. The assessment result of hazardous waste in Korea according to the EWC showed that the out of 24 processes, 16 belongs to absolute entry and 8 belongs to mirror entry. In conclusion, we expect the outcome of this study to align the classification system of hazardous waste management in South Korea with international legislations, and consequently contribute to reduce environmental pollution as well as health risks by toxic wastes.

Isolation of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria from bilge oil contaminated water

Two bacterial strains, i.e. Pseudomonas mendocina and Ochrobactrum sp. were isolated from bilge oil contaminated water of Mormugao harbour, Goa, India and grown in a culture medium with hexadecane as the sole carbon source. Pseudomonas mendocina was used in further studies as it was the dominant strain. This strain effectively degraded tetradecane, hexadecane and octadecane leaving a residual concentration of about 73 %, 54 % and 40 % respectively in 120 h. Sequence analysis of the dominant bands from the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles revealed the differences between the genera of bilge oil contaminated sea water and its enrichment culture on hexadecane indicating a shift in community structure based on the type of substrate available. Pseudomonas mendocina amplified for the following catabolic genes namely C23O, nid and ndo. Based on the catabolic gene study the potential of the bacterial strain isolated, i.e. Pseudomonas mendocina seems to be interesting as it will be able to degrade polyaromatic hydrocarbons as well. Physicochemical properties of Pseudomonas mendocina indicates production of exopolysaccharides based on the value of its isoelectric point.

Biodegradation of hydrocarbons in the presence of cyclodextrins

Aliphatic hydrocarbons are one of the main components of oil contamination. Bioremediation is considered to be a cost-effective treatment option among the conventional treatment methods with bioavailability being the limitation. Chemical surfactants could be used to increase the bioavailability of the hydrocarbons but they showed marked toxicity and environmental pollution. Cyclodextrins are cyclic oligosaccharides which can alter the solubility of the hydrocarbons by incorporating suitably sized hydrophobic molecules into their hydrophobic cavities. This paper focuses on studying the degradation of hydrocarbons by Pseudomonas like species named as Vid1 isolated previously from bilge oil contaminated waters in the presence of cyclodextrins. Among the three cyclodextrins (α, β and γ) tested at different concentrations, 2.5 mM of β-cyclodextrin showed higher amount of biodegradation when n-hexadecane was used as a model hydrocarbon compound. The percentage of residual hexadecane remaining in the 2.5 mM β-cyclodextrin supplied medium at 120 h was found to be 15% in comparison with the biotic control which was 43%. In the next experimental setup, degradation of mixture of hydrocarbons (tetradecane, hexadecane and octadecane) by Vid1 (Pseudomonas like species) was studied at a concentration of 2.5 mM β-cyclodextrin. The residual percentage of tetradecane, hexadecane and octadecane at 120 h was found to be 32, 43 and 61% in comparison with the biotic control 50, 58 and 67%, respectively. Our studies show that among a mixture of hydrocarbons (tetradecane, hexadecane and octadecane) in the presence of β-cyclodextrin, the highest concentration of hydrocarbon degradation was found in tetradecane, hexadecane and octadecane, respectively.

Characterization and source of oil contamination on the beaches and seabird corpses, Sable Island, Nova Scotia, 1996–2005

During April 1996–May 2005, 2343 oiled seabird corpses were recorded in beach surveys conducted on Sable Island, Nova Scotia. One hundred eighty-three samples of oil were collected from the beaches and from the feathers of bird corpses. Gas chromatographic (GC/FID) analysis was used to identify generic oil type and likely marine source. During this period, at least 74 marine oil discharge events were probably responsible for beached pelagic tar and contamination of seabird corpses found on Sable Island, of which 77.0% were crude oils, 14.9% were fuel oils, and 8.1% were bilge oil mixtures. While fuel and bilge oils may be discharged by all vessel and platform types, crude oil discharges are associated with tanker operations. This study demonstrates that oiling of the sea from tankers remains a serious wildlife issue in the Northwest Atlantic.

Application of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Chemical Fingerprinting in Oil Spill Investigations––Gulf of Suez, Egypt

In an attempt to examine the suitability of chemical fingerprinting methods in oil spill investigations, multiple parameters sensitive to both sources and degree of weathering were used to characterize spilled oil samples and to distinguish spilled hydrocarbons from sources unrelated to the spill in shoreline of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. The characterizations of individual aliphatic and aromatic compounds were based on gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses. The distribution of n-alkanes, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkyl PAHs in the source oil and an oil slick collected 72 h after the spill were very similar. Major compositional changes observed in a weathered oiled sediment collected nine months after the spill from the shoreline at the spill location were consistent with previous studies. Molecular parameters of hopane and sterane biomarkers were very similar in the source oil, the spilled oil and the highly weathered oiled sediment. The similarity in biomarker compositions provided a strong evidence for a close genetic association of these samples. Ratios of C 2-chrysenes/C 2-phenanthrenes and C 2-chrysenes/C 2-dibenzothiophenes, the pregnane index (sum of the concentrations of C 21 and C 22 steranes over total concentration of steranes×100), and the tricyclic terpane index (sum of the concentrations of C 19 and C 30 tricyclic terpanes over total concentration of terpanes×100) clearly differentiated the refined oil products from crude oils. The composition of bilge oil indicated enrichment of late eluting steranes and terpanes and showed biomarker distributions similar to natural petroleum. The results further support that sterane and terpane biomarker analyses could differentiate oil samples of different sources even though they were sometimes indistinguishable in PAH and alkane compositions.

Technical Report: Novel Oil/Water Separator for Treatment of Oily Bilgewater

A novel device that combines physical separation methods with biotechnology to treat oily bilgewater is described. Laboratory and pilot-scale experiments were performed to examine the ability of this device, tradenamed PetroLiminator TM, to both separate free oil and biodegrade the dissolved or emulsified oil from shipboard bilgewater. Laboratory experiments were conducted to isolate and enrich bilge oil-degrading microorganisms. These microbes were grown in specially formulated liquid nutrients containing several hundred parts per million (ppm) of bilge oil as the sole carbon source. These cultures were inoculated into a laboratory-scale aqueous fixed-film bioreactor for determination of the required flow rate (i.e., hydraulic retention time) to remove ⋜99% of the petroleum hydrocarbons in the bilgewater. This information was incorporated into the design and operation of a 500 gal pilot-scale bioreactor installed aboard the 700 ft Cape Lobos MARAD motor vessel. The bioreactor was operated for 70 days processing more than 90 000 liters of petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contaminated bilgewater. The average PHC concentration in the untreated influent was 70 to 90 ppm. The TPH levels in all treated effluent samples analyzed were well below 15 ppm, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) limit for legal overboard discharge. In fact, the removal efficiencies for the system were greater than 99% with no operational or maintenance problems noted. A newer model was developed that incorporated a physical separation chamber (Stage 1) upstream of the bioreactor chamber (Stage 2) in order to minimize the oil load to the microbes. A series of tests was conducted that closely mimicked the USCG tests for oil/water separators (OWS). The results were dramatic. The PHC levels in the effluent were below 15 ppm in all samples analyzed for the specified flow rate. Based on these data, it is estimated that the subject system with a footprint of 6 × 5 × 5 ft (L × W× H) is able to treat up to 86 000 gal of oily bilgewater per month. This system was USCG and IMO approved in January 2000.

Texas General Land Office Bilge Water Reclamation Program

ABSTRACT The Oil Spill Prevention and Response Division of the Texas General Land Office has taken their oil spill prevention efforts to new heights. Beyond assessing penalties, beyond providing far-reaching educational programs, and beyond conducting extensive patrolling efforts, their most recent prevention initiative significantly decreases bilge oil spills in a non-threatening, alliance-building manner. This new prevention effort, known as the Texas General Land Office Bilge Water Reclamation Program, provides a convenient, environmentally responsible way to dispose of oily bilge water at no cost to the owners and operators of the vessels using the facilities. Strategically placed facilities collect oily bilge water from commercial or recreational fishing vessels and process it so effectively that the filtered water can be discharged directly into the adjacent waterway and the oily product can be recycled. To date, the facilities have cleaned more than 150,000 gallons of contaminated water and generated 20,000 gallons of used engine oil for use by a waste oil recycling company.

RESPONSE TO THE GROUNDING OF THE F/V El JYU MARU NO. 211

ABSTRACT On December 2, 1991, the Japanese fishing vessel Ei Jyu Maru No. 21 ran hard aground near a remote, sparsely populated island in the northern region of the Republic of Palau, a Trust Territory of the United States. The grounding caused fractures in the hull, through which bilge oil, diesel fuel, and lubricating oils leaked out. The spilled oil, and the fuel remaining in the vessel, threatened environmentally sensitive reefs and bird nesting sites on nearby islands. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Guam and the Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team sent personnel to Palau to mitigate the effects of this spill. The response team, after six weeks of effort under less than ideal conditions, removed the fuel remaining on the vessel and prevented any further pollution. The remote location of Palau, about 7,000 miles from the west coast of the United States, and the undeveloped character of this region of Palau made this response a complex, costly, and time-consuming endeavor. These factors contributed to the problems that hindered this response—for example, long distances between the spill site and support areas, lack of infrastructure at the spill site, unreliable communications systems, and misunderstandings over the role of the Coast Guard.

Ultrafiltration Characteristics of Oil-Detergent-Water Systems: Membrane Fouling Mechanisms

Abstract The ultrafiltration characteristics of oil (bilge oil and synthetic based lubricating oil)-nonionic detergent-water (river water and distilled water) systems are evaluated with noncellulosic, tubular membranes. The water flux behavior (membrane fouling) is dictated by the membrane resistance increase due to detergent-membrane interaction and due to surface fouling in the presence of oil-detergent emulsions and suspended solids. Membrane fouling and cleaning requirements depend on the type of oily water systems. Flux drop can be minimized by operating at temperatures above 35°C and/or with short-term membrane depressurization. In all cases the steady-state water flux is a function of the initial membrane water flux. Depending on the oil water systems, water fluxes of 8 to 52 ± 10−4 cm/sec are obtained. Excellent oil rejections are observed in all cases: even with oil-detergent systems, an ultrafiltrate oil concentration of less than 10 mg/1 can be achieved.

Oily Bilge Water Treatment With a Tubular Ultrafiltration System

In its concern for maintaining and enhancing the environmental quality of water bodies, the Navy has been developing various oil pollution abatement systems. One potential process for the separation of oil in bilge water is ultrafiltration, a pressure-driven membrane process which can separate, concentrate, and fractionate macromolecular solutes and suspended species from water. A tubular ultrafiltration system using cellulosic and noncellulosic membranes was tested with bilge oil obtained from a patrol craft. Tests were also conducted with tap water, river water, a turbine lubricating oil, and a fuel oil, alone and in combination with a nonionic detergent. The addition of the detergent was observed to result in a steeper flux decline than when any of the fluids were evaluated alone. Both membrane types produced a permeate with an oil content generally less than 15 mg/l. Although the noncellulosic membranes exhibited higher flux rates than the cellulosic membranes, only the former could be restored by a cleaning operation to its initial water flux after experiencing a decline in flux. A cumulative irreversible flux decline was exhibited by the cellulosic membrane. Cleaning operations, some of which were time-consuming, consisted of flushing the membrane with ultrafiltrate, distilled water, tap water, or the manufacturer’s enzyme-detergent formulation. Only the last of these, when employed at elevated temperature (125°F), restored the initial water flux of the noncellulosic membrane.