Edison Water Quality Laboratory
December 1970 Vol. HI
OIL & HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
RESEARCH NEWSLETTER
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
June l£ - 17, 1971 are the dates for the
second conference on Prevention and
Control of Oil Spill.
The conference to be convened in
Washington, B.C., will be jointly
sponsored by FWQA., API and USCG.
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY FEDERAL WATER QUALITY ADMINISTRATION
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EDISON BURNS!
In October 1970 the Oil and Hazardous Materials Research
Section, as part of its in-house activities, conducted
field tests using various types of commercially available
burning and/or wicking agents with several different types
of oils. A final report on this field test, as well as the
results of laboratory investigations, is being prepared and
should be available shortly. In the meantime, however, a
summary of our findings is presented below:
1. Burning of free floating or uncontained oil
slicks is extremely difficult unless the
thickness of oil is 2 mm or greater.
2. Adequate automated seeding methods for both
the powder and nodule-type burning agents are
lacking. Spreading of the burning agent on
the oil slick had to be accomplished by hand.
This conclusion was also reached by the Navy,
which conducted burning experiments in May 1970.
3. Contained South Louisiana crude oil was successfully
burned 80$ to 90$ reduction without the appli-
cation of burning agents and/or "priming" fuels.
Bunker C could not be ignited under these same
conditions.
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Bunker C was successfully burned Q0% to 90% reduction
when the slick was seeded with burning agents and an
appropriate priming fuel. It was discovered the South
Louisiana crude oil performed better as a priming agent
than did gasoline or lighter fluid.
Use of magnesium type flares and gasoline torches to
ignite the burning-agent-treated slick proved un-
successful. Success was achieved, however, using a
blow torch once we learned how to manipulate the torch
in such a manner that the torch gas pressure did not
push aside the oil and seed material so as to expose the
water surface.
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WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1970: CHEMICAL USE POLICY
Pursuant to the provisions of this Act, the President is authorized
to prepare and publish a national oil and hazardous materials
pollution contingency plan. This plan was published in the
Federal Register, Vol. 35, No. 106 Tuesday, June 2, 1970.
Included was a schedule identifying dispersants and other chemicals
that may be used in carrying out the plan. To summarize this
schedule:
When Regional Response Team is activated;
Dispersants may be used in any place, at any time, and
in quantities designated by the On-Scene Commander, when
their use will:
1. In the judgment of the On-Scene Commander,
prevent or substantially reduce hazard to
human life or limb or substantial hazard
of fire to property.
2. In the judgment of FWQA, in consultation
with appropriate State agencies, prevent or
reduce substantial hazard to a major segment
of the population(s) of vulnerable species
of waterfowl.
3. In the judgment of FWQA, in consultation
with appropriate State agencies, result
in the least overall environmental damage,
or interference with designated uses.
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When Regional Response Team is NOT activated;
Provisions of the preceding section shall apply. The use
of dispersants in any other situation shall be subject to
this schedule except in States where State laws, regulations
or written policies are in effect.
Interim restrictions on use of dispersants and sinking
agents for pollution control purposes:
Except as noted above, dispersants shall NOT be used:
1. On any distillate fuel
2. On any spill of oil less than 200 barrels
in quantity.
3. On any shoreline.
U. In any waters less than 100 feet deep.
5. In any waters containing major population, or
breeding or passage areas for species of fish or
marine life which may be damaged or rendered
commercially less marketable by exposure to
dispersant or dispersed oil.
6. In any waters where winds and/or currents are
of such velocity and direction that dispersed
oil mixtures would likely, in the judgment of
FWQA., be carried to shore areas within 2k hours.
7. In any waters where such use may affect surface
water supplies.
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Sinking agents:
Sinking agents may be used only in marine waters
exceeding 100 meters in depth where currents are not
predominately on-shore, and only if other control methods
are judged by FWQA. to be inadequate or not feasible.
7 THOUGHT OIL CALMED TROUBLED WATERS1
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PULVERIZED LIMESTONE USED FOR BEACH CLEANING*
A method of cleaning oiled pebble beaches using waterproof
limestone dust has been described by J.J.D. Greenwood,
H.A.P. Ingram, J. McManus and D.J.A. Williams of Dundee
University ('Public Cleansing1 60(U):1?8,' 1970). The reported
advantages of the powder are that it is cheap, non-toxic and
precludes secondary pollution which may occur when dispersants
are used.
The powder in question is a preparation of pulverized limestone
rendered hydrophobic by treatment with stearic acid. It is not
easily removed by high tides, and is very easily adsorbed to oil,
forming a friable layer on rocks and pebbles which drops off and
is washed away as sandsize pellets a process greatly facilitated
by abrasive wave action.
Greenwood et al. first tried out the powder at the beginning of
March 1968 following a spill of topped Venezuelan crude oil
into the Tay estuary, Scotland. In all, l$,l;00 ibs. of the
dust obtained from a local limestone works were spread manually
over ?0,UOO square feet of beach at a cost of about $ll;2.80.
Two years later the rocks and pebbles were free of oil and there
were no gross signs of detrimental effect to living organisms.
Regular checks had not, however, been made during the two years.
^Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 1 (NS), Number 6, June 1970,
pg. 82.
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Dr. J. McManus has been investigating the effect of the
limestone dust on various types of rock contaminated with
crude oil to determine the optimum conditions for its
application. He has found that pebbles presoaked in water
take up less oil than do dry pebbles, and the dust-oil coating
is more easily removed. He has also found that fresh acid igneous
rocks such as granite, quartzite, and flint are more readily cleansed
than basic basalt ones such as limestone and dolerite, though
why this should be is not immediately clear. It is however, under-
standable that porous, deeply weathered rocks that have been oiled
are very difficult to clean.
ftiom 1970
A John Tickner cartoon, reprinted from The WAGS/ Magazine
published by The Wildfowlers' Association of Great Britain & Ireland.
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NEW FWQA OIL POLLUTION PROJECTS
Following is a list of grant and contract projects awarded by
the Federal Water Quality Administration since May 1970:
Grantee or Contractor
Subject
Project Officer
Expected Completion Date
Atlantic Research Corporation
Missile Systems Division
Costa Mesa, California 92626
Battelle Memorial Institute
Pacific Northwest Laboratories
P.O. Box 999
Richland, Washington 99352
Consultec, Inc.
2351 Research Boulevard
Roclcville, Maryland 20850
JBF Scientific Corporation
Alpha Industrial Park
Chelmsford, Massachusetts 0182U
University of Miami
School of Marine and
Atmospheric Sciences
10 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, Florida 331U9
Concept development
studies on a self
contained oil har-
vesting device
employing a series
of rotating disks.
Design fabrication
and full-scale testing
of an oil harvesting
system employing water
jet sweeps and floating,
skimming and primary
oil-water separation.
Concept development
studies on a device to
harvest oil slicks based
upon use of a water
permeable - oil imper-
meable filter bag.
Development and demonstra-
tion of a prototype scale
mechanical harvesting de-
vice based upon a submerged
hydrodynamic oil concen-
trator.
To measure comparative
acute toxicity and effective-
ness of four dispersants
according to procedures
supplied by FWQA.
S. T. Uyeda
10/70
Paul C. Walkup
10/70
R. B. Dayton
11/70
Ralph A. Bianchi
5/71
Charles E. Lane
U/71
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Grantee or Contractor
Subject
Project Officer
Expected Completion Date
Microwave Sensor Systems
8050 E. Florence Avenue
Downey, California 902UO
To demonstrate the
application of micro-
wave radiometry to the
detection and measure-
ment of thickness of
oil slicks.
J. C. Aukland
6/71
New England Aquarium
Central Wharf
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
New Mexico State University
Physical Science Laboratory-
Box 35U8
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001
To measure comparative
acute toxicity and
effectiveness of four
dispersants according
to procedures supplied
by FWQA.
Develop and demonstrate
at scale a mechanical
oil recovery device
which employs a combi-
nation of the principles,
gravity weir, perferential
wetting on a rotating belt
and vacuum suction.
S. Fai Cheuk
U/71
J. R. Gleyre
5/71
Fire Department, City
of New York
Municipal Building
New York, New York 10007
Pacific Engineering Laboratory
6^7 Howard Street
San Francisco, California
Rex Chainbelt, Inc.
h701 West Greenfield Avenue
West Milwaukee, Wisconsin
5321U
Demonstrate a comprehen-
sive oil spill control
program for New York
harbor and immediate
waters.
To measure comparative
acute toxicity and
effectiveness of four
dispersants according
to procedures supplied
by FWQA.
Develop fundamental design
criteria for a belt-type
oil harvesting device;
build and test a prototype
devic e.
Joseph F. Connor
6/30/71
Robert A.
U/71
Ryder
John Pernusch
12/70
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Grantee or Contractor
Subject
Project Officer
Expected Completion Date
Sonics International, Inc,
7101 Carpenter Freeway
Dallas, Texas 752U7
Syracuse University
Research Corporation
Life Sciences Division
Syracuse, New York 13210
To demonstrate and
evaluate the use,
effectiveness, and
cost of a device
utilizing the ultra-
sonic energy con-
cept to clean oil
contaminated beach
sands.
To measure comparative
acute toxicity and
effectiveness of four
dispersants according
to procedures supplied
by FWQA..
Byron Dunn
9/7/70
Richard B.
U/71
Moore
For further information on individual projects, please contact the Oil
and Hazardous Materials Research Section, Edison Water Quality Laboratory,
Federal Water Quality Administration, Edison, New Jersey 08817
"/ say if the good Lord wanted us to fly, He LOOI< '
wouldn't have invented oil slick."
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OIL POLLUTION: ESTIMATED AMOUNTS AND SOURCES
Used oil from vehicles may be the largest single source of
oil pollution, including oil pollution of the oceans. This
is one of the tentative conclusions reached by a Massachusetts
Institute of Technology sponsored study group.
A summary of their major findings, including an estimate of the
quantities and types of oil discharged to the world's waters
is as follows:
a. "It is likely that up to l.J? million tons of
oil are introduced into the oceans every year
through ocean shipping, offshore drilling,
and accidents. In addition, as much as two
to three times this amount could eventually
be introduced into waterways and eventually
the oceans as a result of emission and
wasteful practices on land.
b. Very little is known about the effects of
oil in the oceans on marine life. Present
results are conflicting. The effects of
one oil spill which have been carefully
observed indicate severe damage to marine
organisms. Observations of other spills
have not shown such a marked degree of
damage. Different kinds of damage have
been observed for different spills.
c. Potential effects include: direct kill
of organisms through coating, asphyxiation,
or contact poisoning; direct kill through
exposure to the water soluble toxic com-
ponents of oil; destruction of the food
sources of organisms; incorporation of
sub-lethal amounts of oil and oil products
into organisms, resulting in reduced re-
sistance to infection and other stresses,
or in reproductive successes."
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ESTIMATES OF OIL INTRODUCED
INTO WORLD'S WATERS AND POTENTIAL LOSSES TO
WATERS, 1969
Metric Tons Per Year
1.
Tankers
(normal operations)
Using control measures
(80*)
Not using control
measures
2. Other ships
(bilges, etc.)
3. Offshore production
(normal operations)
U. Accidental spills
Ships
Nonships
5. Refineries and
petrochemical
SUBTOTAL
6. Potential losses to
water from industrial
and automotive (not
fuel):
Highway vehicle spent oils
Industrial plus all other
vehicles
SUBTOTAL
300,000
1,800,000
1,500,000
1,630,000
% of
Total
30,000
£00,000
530,000
500,000
100,000
100,000
100,000
10.7
10.1
2.0
2.0
2.0
6.0
36.6
30.6
3,300,000
TOTAL
h,930,000
NOTE: Oil from pleasure craft and natural seeps
not included.
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CLEANING OILED SEABIRDS WITH LARODAN*
Kare Larsson, Institute of Medical Biochemistry, and Goran Odham,
Institute of Plant Physiology, University of Goteborg, Gotegor,
Sweden, have successfully used Larodan for cleaning oiled seabirds.
Reportedly, with this cleaning agent, waxing takes place during
cleaning (a method similar to that sometimes used in car cleaning)
of the oiled bird.
When detergents are used for washing oiled seabirds the natural
feather wax is often removed because the solubility and emulsifying
properties of the feather wax and the contaminating oil are almost
identical. Because of the importance of wax in maintaining water
repellancy and heat insulation, no seabird can be returned to
its natural environment until the wax has been replaced in one
way or another.
The preen gland produces about Iarine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 1 (NS), Number 8, August 1970,
pg. 123 - 12U.
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wax after cleaning. Initially, about 150 oiled common swans in
Goteborg were cleaned with Tremalon B, and wax subsequently
sprayed on the plumage. In practice, the spraying technique
was not very satisfactory; overdoses were often given resulting
in plumage with the same properties as the original oiled
plumage.
To overcome this problem Larodan 12? was used. The preparation
consisted of a dispersion of hydrophilic lipid crystals in water,
with a commercially available synethetic wax 'pur-cellin liquid'
(composition similar to that of natural feather wax) included in
the hydrophobia regions of the lipid crystal matrix. The hydro-
philic lipid is the 1-monoglyceride of dodecanoic acid (chain
length 12), and the synthetic wax contains a methyl-branched C^-acid
linked to n-octadecanyl -1. The wax is a common component of
cosmetic preparations. (Larodan 12? refers to these chain lengths.)
The proportions of the three components, monoglyceride, wax and water,
were adjusted on the basis of practical tests so that the final pro-
duct consisted of 20 per cent monoglyceride and 2 per cent wax in
water. Larodan thus consists of two lipid components of the same
type as those occurring naturally in seabirds. The crystalline
monoglyceride dispersions in water have been extensively tested
externally in man, and both internally and externally in test animals.
Larodan 12? has been tested on about ten Peiping ducks contaminated
with Shell talpa oil 30 to which carbon powder had been added.
About 100 g of contaminant was used on each bird, and after 3 days
11*
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they were washed with Larodan. Only one washing was required to
remove the oil, and after 8-10 days the birds could swim.
Comparisons of Larodan with other agents showed that with the
latter the washing procedure was longer, and the birds took
longer to float.
Larodan has been used on a large scale in Scandinavia; for example
in Gavle, Sweden, where about seventy-five birds belonging to the
family Anatidae were successfully cleaned and returned to their
natural environment within two weeks.
-The Post & Times-Stir Cincinnati, Wed., March 25, 1970
Till IT LIKI IT IS IT DUNAOIN
'WHY DON'T YOU SWITCH TO A DETERGENT OIL?'
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NEW R&D NEED; POWER BRAKES FOR TANKERS!
The stopping ability of tankers, even under crash stop
conditions vessel in full reverse is causing con-
cern in naval circles. Causing the worry is a fleet
of 326,000 ton, Universe class tankers built in Japan and
under charter to a major U.S. oil company. These tankers
are almost three times the capacity of the ill-fated
Torrey Canyon.
In the September issue of the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings
Capt. Edward F. Oliver, USCG, ret., reported that:
"The most important factor in connection
with collision and stranding the two
most dreaded casualties is the 'crash
stop1 ability. Unfortunately, the ability
of the tankers to come to a 'Crash stop'
has decreased as their size has increased.
For the U00,000 tonner, the straight-line
stopping distance for a 'crash stop1
would be four to five miles and would
take approximately 30 minutes. During
this period of backing full, the ship's
master is unable to steer her or regulate
the speed.
If the engines are not put 'full astern'
but on 'stop' it takes up to one hour for
the Universe Ireland to come to a stop."
^5 minutes
17,000 tons 1/5 mile
dfc I m 21 minutes
200,000 tons 2.5 miles
30 minute*
400,000 tons
k L
1,000,000 tons
4.5 miles
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OIL POLLUTION TRAINING COURSE
A three day training course on oil pollution control technology will
be presented at the Edison Water Quality Laboratory during the week
of February 1, 1971. Topics to be discussed at this course will
include, but are not necessarily limited to, oil slick
characteristics, sampling, analysis, environmental effects, booms,
skimmers, contingency planning, and practical problem solutions.
Course will entail not only classroom work, but actual "get the
hands dirty" laboratory participation.
Course registration will be limited, therefore, for reservations
or information contact Mr. J. McKenna, Training Officer, Edison
Water Quality Laboratory, FWQA, Edison, New Jersey 0881?.
(FTS No. 201 8U6-U6U7, Commercial No. 201 5U8-33U7).
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WASHINGTON-EDISON PERSONNEL CHANGES
Since the last issue of the Newsletter, several personnel changes
have taken place, both at Edison and at Headquarters. In
Washington, RALPH RHODES, former Chief, Oil Pollution Research
Section, has transferred to the FWQA.'s Charlottesville, Virginia o
office. KURT JAKOBSON, previously with the Division of Technical
Support, Washington, D.C., is now handling Ralph's responsibilities,
At Edison, both DR. THOMAS MURPHY, Chief, Oil and Hazardous
Materials Research Section and PATRICK TQBIN, Sanitary Engineer,
have been promoted to "greener pastures" in Washington.
Dr. Murphy is now a staff assistant to Dr. David Stephan,
Assistant Commissioner, Research and Development. Pat is still
involved in research activities, however, in our sister division
of Process Research and Development.
New additions at Edison include J. STEPHEN DORRLER, formerly in
charge of the Navy's oil pollution program at Norfolk, Virginia,
who will be takning on many of Tom Murphy's old responsibilities.
DR. JOSEPH LAFORNARA, a recent graduate of the University of
Florida, is devoting all of his time to develop new methods and
procedures for analyzing oil spill samples. IRA WILDER, pre-
viously with the Navy's Applied Science Research Laboratory is
handling the hazardous materials program. ARNOLD FRIEBERGER,
also formerly with the Naval Applied Science Research Laboratory,
is involved in grant and contract management, as well as in-house
activities.
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CLEANING OIL CONTAMINATED BEACHES
Dr. A. Y. McClean, a member of "Project Oil", the Canadian Government's
response team for the Tanker ARROW disaster which occurred in
Chedabucto Bay, Nova Scotia on February k, 1970, reports that a
chemical dispersant was successfully used, without any adverse
biological effects, to remove Bunker C oil from rocky shorelines.
The test results indicated that an application of 0.1 gal/ft^ would
be effective in cleansing the Bunker C oil from the rocky shoreline.
Based on a price of $2.97 per gallon, the cost for cleaning the rocky
beach would be $0.30 per square foot. This cost would vary considerably
depending on the nature of the shore and degree of oiling. In these
tests, as the shore was rocky, and the oiling quite heavy, the product
cost was probably above average. The cost of cleaning bedrock, for
instance, would be less.
Dr. McClean concluded that the use of BP 1100 B, or a similar dispersant,
is a convenient and effective way of cleaning rocky shorelines contami-
nated with Bunker C oil, although 100$ removal of the oil is not possible
in instances where the oil has flowed underneath rocky surfaces.
In addition, he indicated that undesirable biological side effects can
probably be reduced to negligible proportions provided:
(a) The dispersant-treated oil is hosed off into the sea
with large quantities of water.
(b) The cleaning operation is carried out during a rising
tide, and wind and current conditions are such that
the emulsified material is quickly diluted and dispersed,
and
(c) The cleaning operation is not carried out on such a large
scale that extremely large quantities of emulsified oil
are dumped into the sea in a short period of time.
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DISPERSANT USE RESULTS IN $500 FINE
As a result of expert testimony provided by the Edison Water
Quality Laboratory in U.S. District Court, Southern District
of New York, a New York City oil storage firm was fined $500
for an oil spill and an additional $500 for using dispersant.
Testimony was directed to the toxicity and potential harmful
effects to the marine environment that could result from
the dispersant use.
The incident involved a spill of 50 - 150 gallons of #1; heating
oil into Westchester Creeks as a result of the failure of an
automatic control alarm on a storage tank. Sixty gallons of
dispersant were used without notification of or approval by
FWQA.
The case, prosecuted under the Refuse Act, U.S. Code Title 33,
Section U07, was precedent setting in that this was the first
time a violator was successfully prosecuted under the Refuse Act
for using dispersant.
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UPDATING OF TECHNICAL RAD MANUALS
The Newsletter will be used as the mechanism for updating
Edison's R&D manuals on "Oil Skimming Devices" and "Oil
Containment Systems". When appropriate, other past and
future reports will also be brought up to date in this
manner. For your convenience, the pages have not been
bound into the Newsletter, but rather "T-slotted" so that
they can be easily removed and inserted into the appro-
priate R&D report.
Included with this issue of the Newsletter is a new
addition to the report on "Oil Skimming Devices":
Reynold's Medusa Skimmers
It is important to emphasize that mention of trade names
or commercial products does not constitute FWQA. endoresement
or recommendations for use.
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