Effects of In-Situ Burning of Oil
In-situ oil burning is an effective response for oil spill cleanup on the spot. Oil spill cleanup can be accomplished with comparatively lesser manpower and low cost. Though in-situ burning of oil is effectual in oil spill cleanup, this method poses a serious threat to the environment as well as human beings.
In-situ oil burning is also done on water, but it depends greatly on the thickness of the slick, water temperature, wind speed and direction, oil type, and wave amplitude. After in-situ oil burning the residues tend to sink deep into the water system thus paving the way for toxic build up in the water body. Hence, this method doesn’t hold good for cleaning up oil spills in water.
Oil spill removal through in-situ oil burning greatly affects the people in the neighbourhood areas, the soil, the plantations, and the wildlife within the proximity of the oil spill. In-situ oil burning sometimes results in the seepage of oil further deep into the soil and shoreline sediments. It releases particulate pollutants, such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), carbon monoxide, and other toxic gases directly into the atmosphere rendering the air unfavourable for breathing. The response personnel are also at risk due to the intense heat sources used in in-situ burning. So care should be taken while employing in-situ oil burning. Pollution detection equipments to monitor the particulate pollutant levels in the air should be utilized.
The above mentioned considerations have to be made in using in situ oil burning as the cleanup strategy. Taking into consideration all the drawbacks of in-situ burning, use of eco-friendly oil cleaners, such as Oil Gone Easy S-200 would be ideal for efficient oil spill containment. As opposed to in-situ burning, this oil spill cleanup procedure is extremely safe as it biodegrades the hydrocarbons present in the oil using the microbes present in the environment.
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