EPA R2 72 054
October 1972 Environmental Protection Technology Series
RUNOFF OF OILS
FROM RURAL ROADS
TREATED TO SUPPRESS DUST
Office of Research and Monitoring
National Environmental Research Center
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
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RESEARCH REPORTING SERIES
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EPA-R2-72-054
October 1972
RUNOFF OF OILS FROM RURAL ROADS
TREATED TO SUPPRESS DUST
Frank J. Freestone
Edison Water Quality Research Laboratory
Edison, New Jersey 08817
Program Element 1B2041
National Environmental Research Center
Office of Research and Monitoring
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
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ABSTRACT
Two rural roads in Readington Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey,
which are treated with waste crankcase oils, were examined to deter-
mine whether or not the oil leaves the road. Analyses indicated that
roughly one percent of the total oil estimated to have been applied
remains in the top inch of road surface material, that oil penetration
below the top inch of road was minimal, and that lead was concentrated
(~ 200 mg/kg) in the top inch of road material.
Laboratory weathering experiments indicate an estimated maximum weath-
ering loss of oil from a road would be approximately 18%. Rain runoff
studies on simulated rural road surfaces indicated two mechanisms by
which oil is transported from the road: leaching of the oil by flota-
tion, and flotation of oil-wet soil particles. The greatest oil trans-
port is during the first few rains after oil application with continuous,
low level leaching during each subsequent rain.
Analysis of soil samples taken from a field subjected to runoff from an
oiled road showed significantly higher lead content than soil taken
from a field 150 feet from the road.
Five photographs, clearly showing oil leaching from the test road sur-
face and entering drainage ditches after a rain, are presented.
iii
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CONTENTS
Section
I Conclusions 1
II Recommendations 3
III Introduction 5
IV Experimental 7
1. Oiling History 7
2. Oil Type and Application Rate 7
3. Oil in the Road Surface: Concentration 7
vs. Depth
4. Estimate of Oil Remaining in Test Road 8
5. Oil Volatility 10
6. Runoff Mechanisms 10
7. Biodegradation 15
8. Adhesion to Vehicles and Dust Transport 15
9. Analysis of Trace Quantities of Crank- 15
case Oil in Runoff Waters
10. Lead in Soils and Plants 15
11. Biological Assessment of Lead in Test 16
Aquatic Organisms
12. Estimate of Lead Remaining in Test Road 19
13. Sampling Procedures 21
14. Analysis Techniques 22
V Discussion 23
VI References 25
v
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FIGURES
Page
1 Test Locations 26
2 Woodschurch Road Showing Oil on Wet Road Surface 27
3 Blue Oil Patch Squeezed from Soft, Wet Road 27
Surface Material
4 Oil on Puddle Surface 28
5 Oil Movement with Water Runoff 28
6 Oil on Drainage Ditch at the Side of the Road 29
vi
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TABLES
No. Page
1 Penetration of Oil Into Road Surface 9
2 Weathering Data 11
3 Rainfall Data, Flemington, New Jersey 12
4 Laboratory Runoff Study 14
5 Typical Composition of Waste Crankcase Oils 17
6 Lead Analysis Results 18
7 Analysis of Aquatic Organisms for Lead 20
vii
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT S
The author wishes to extend his gratitude to the following Edison
Water Quality Research Laboratory personnel for their special co-
operation and contributions toward this study: J. Stephen Dorrler,
Chief, Oil Spills Branch, for his direction and suggestions;
Stephen Schoonmaker, for his field sampling and laboratory sample
preparation efforts; Michael Gruenfeld for his laboratory analyses;
Thomas Roush for his biological sampling and analyses; and Ann Krypel
for her patient typing efforts.
The cooperation of Howard Oldenburg, Mayor, Harry W. Haver, Clerk
and the Township Committee of Readington Township, New Jersey is
also gratefully acknowledged.
viii
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SECTION I
CONCLUSIONS
1. Roughly 1% of the total oil conservatively estimated to have been
applied to the test roads remains in the top inch of road surface.
Penetration of oil below this top inch is minimal.
2. Oil leaves the road during wet weather by flotation from wet road
surface material and by flotation of oil-wet road surface particles.
3. Lead, which is contained in the waste crankcase oil, also leaves
the road surface with runoff.
4. The road surface contains a considerable amount (=* 200 mg/kg aver-
age) of lead, which, if associated with dust particles on the road,
could be carried by winds to contaminate fields and crops adjacent to
the oiled road. This could be a problem where road side crops are for
direct human consumption, such as lettuce, cabbage, etc., and/or where
lead from the oiled road adds to the lead fallout on these crops from
vehicular traffic.
5. Precise quantitation of oil movements was beyond the scope of this
study; only estimates of major oil movements were made. The estimates
apply most specifically to the roads tested, and will vary somewhat
with other roads and oiling conditions. Therefore, extrapolation of
these data to other roads must be made with care.
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SECTION II
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Further study to determine the quantity of waste oils that actually
leave the roads should not be undertaken at this time. The fact that
the oil leaves the road is clear; precise quantitation is not easily
achieved.
2. Further study should be undertaken to determine the ecological
consequences of runoff oil and its accompanying heavy metals, includ-
ing lead.
3. If preliminary evidence from the study of (2) above indicates
ecological harm, then studies should be undertaken to define economi-
cally attractive alternatives to the application of waste oils for
dust control, and means for implementation of the alternatives.
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SECTION III
INTRODUCTION
An estimated 200 million gallons of waste crankcase oils and an unknown
quantity of other waste oils, are applied yearly to rural roads in this
country for the purpose of dust control.1 The waste crankcase oil con-
tains approximately 1% by weight of lead compounds which amounts to
14.0 million pounds of lead applied yearly to roads.
In Readington Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, dirt roads are
oiled twice yearly, in June and August to suppress dust in front of
houses along the roads. Two of the roads in Readington Township were
examined to determine if the waste oils were leaving the road surfaces.
The problem was approached by attempting a mass balance to determine
the amount of oil applied to the road surface, the amount remaining in
the road surface, and the amounts leaving the surface by various mech-
anisms. Additionally, analyses were made to determine if the lead
component of the oil was also leaving the road.
The top inch of road surface material extending the width of the road
between drainage ditches was considered the object of the mass balance.
Oil could leave the road surface by several mechanisms: volatilization,
runoff mechanisms, adhesion to vehicles passing (with possible redepo-
sition at other areas), adhesion to dust particles with wind transport
from the road surface, or penetration into the road material below the
surface, possibly through capillary action. Additionally, the oil re-
maining in the road surface could be biodegraded.
Some of the variables affecting the above movements are oil application
history, frequency, quantity per application; oil type, source, vis-
cosity, density, volatility, presence of surface active agents; road
conditions: crown, slope, compaction, density and porosity of soil,
soil grain size distribution; traffic conditions on the road; weather
conditions: time to the first rain after oil application, total yearly
rainfall, temperature affecting volatility of oil, wind affecting dust
transport; and factors affecting biodegradation: presence of oil-
consuming microorganisms, road surface moisture content and presence
of nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients.
With such a range of variables and oil movement mechanisms, precise
quantitation of oil movement applicable to numerous roads is beyond
the scope of this study. However, with information available, esti-
mates may be made of some of the more significant movements of oil.
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SECTION IV
EXPERIMENTAL
1. Oiling History
No records are available of the true oiling history of the test
roads. The Readington Township Clerk indicates that the roads
have been oiled twice yearly for at least 12 years. The waste
oil collector who has done the oiling indicates the roads have
been oiled by him for 16 years, since 1955, and by others before
him for an unknown number of years. Road oiling to lay dust is
usually done in other townships in response to complaints from
persons living along the roads; thus during dry years the roads
may be oiled twice, and in wet years once or not at all. A
conservative estimate of the total number of oilings on the test
roads is 24, considering 2 oilings per year for 12 years, with
the understanding noted above.
2. Oil Type and Application Rate
The oil type and application rate is highly variable. Conversa-
tions with the waste oil collector who oils the Readington roads
indicates that he uses a mixture of #4, #5, or #6 fuel oil sludge
obtained from tank cleaning operations, and waste crankcase oils
collected from service stations in the Trenton, New Jersey area.
The ratio of the mixture depends upon the availability of the fuel
oil sludge, and ranges from 15 to 30% sludge, the balance being
waste crankcase oils.
A waste oil collector from the Boston area who oils roads in New
England and upstate New York indicates that he uses waste water-
soluble cutting oils, waste crankcase oils, terminal waste oils
(from the oil-water separator on a water effluent), and oils from
tank cleaning operations. The oil applied to a given road depends
on the availability of oils at the time of the oiling and follows
no particular pattern.
Application rate is apparently related to the qualitative judgment
of the operator of the truck doing the oiling, and ranges from
0.025 - 0.05 gallon per square foot of road surface, with the 0.05
figure being used on the test roads.
3. Oil in the Road Surface; Concentration vs. Depth
The two test roads were sampled in four oiled locations and in two
unoiled locations to determine concentration of hydrocarbons vs.
depth. In all oiled locations, the top inch of road surface showed
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the greatest concentration of oil, an average of 0.74% wt. with
trace quantities of oils at lower depths (which may be contamination
attributable to the sampling technique) . The road surface material
was made up predominately of clay, with some sand. No attempt was
made to characterize the material in more detail. Complete sampling
data is presented in Table 1.
Estimate of Oil Remaining in Test Road
Oil Applied
0.05 gal/ft.2 per application
2 applications/yr x 12 yrs = 24 applications
0.05 x 24 = 1.2 gal/ft2 total applied oil
1.2 gal/ft2 x 9 ft2/yd2 = 10.8 gal/yd2
Oil penetrates 1 inch; consider unit of road surface to be
1 yd3 and be of dimensions 1 yd wide, 36 yds long and
1 inch deep
10.8 gal/yd2 x 36 yd2/yd3 (for depth of 1 inch) =
388.8 gal/yd3 road surface
Oil weight:
Oil sp. gr.: 0.904
Water weighs 8.337 Ib/gal
Oil weighs 0.904 x 8.337 = 7.537 Ib/gal
Weight of Oil Applied = 388.8 x 7.537
For 12 yrs. of application = 2930.25 Ib oil/yd3 road surface
For 20 yrs. of application = 4883.9 Ib oil/yd3 road surface
Oil Remaining in Road
Wt of road surface:
Avg. soil sp. gr. = 2.75
2.75 x 62.4 lb/ft3 x 27 ft3 « 4,644 lb_
yd"3" yd3
Oil in Road Surface: Avg. concentration = 0.74% Wt.
(neglecting wt. of water in soil)
0.0074 ;" ™, . x 4,644 -"— —°^
Ib road surface yd road surface
Ib oil , ,,, Ib road surface
yd'
~, ,._ Ib oil remaining
yd road surface
8
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TABLE 1
PENETRATION OF OIL INTO ROAD SURFACE
Station Hole
1 1
2
3
4
5
6
2 1
Control
2
3
3 1
2
4 1
Control
Depth (Inches)
Surface
4
6
Surface
4
6
Surface
4
6
Surface
4
6
Surface
4
6
Surface
4
8
10
Surface
4
6
Surface
4
Surface
4
Surface
6
Surface
4
6
Surface
4
Surface
6
Hydrocarbons mg/kg
6,313.17
18.04
18.53
12,572.70
26.42
52.62
8,254.50
88.72
7.67
5,880.24
70.71
7.65
13,441.25
39.95
67.63
2,555.91
59.87
9.35
12.15
347.76
0
0
131.04
0
211.83
0
1,586.22
354.40
9,437.94
805.74
198.35
6,222.52
276.21
142.72
10.04
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Percent of Oil Applied Which Remains
O / O "7
= 2Q3Q x 100 = 1-17% assuming 12 yrs of oiling
34 37
x 100 = 0.7% assuming 20 yrs of oiling
5. Oil Volatility
To estimate the level of volatility of waste oil applied to
Readington Township roads , a laboratory weathering experiment was
performed. Waste oil obtained from the waste oil collector, and
being of a "typical" composition of approximately 20% #6 sludge
and 80% waste crankcase oil was placed in shallow 11" x 14"
laboratory pans under infrared lamps and in the draft of a fan.
The surface temperature of the oil was held at 100°F for a dura-
tion of 288 hours to achieve a high, though arbitary, weathering
stress. At the end of the weathering period, a 16 - 18% change
in weight of oil was noted.
Waste oil obtained from a local service station was weathered
under the same conditions for a period of 360 hours and changed
weight by 7 - 9%. Exact weathering figures are presented in
Table 2.
6. Runoff Mechanisms
To observe runoff mechanisms of oiled roads, a laboratory tank with
two compartments was filled with compacted clay material and sand
material, respectively in the two compartments. No attempt was
made to characterize the materials in the tank more precisely than
"sand" and "clay". The tank was so arranged that for each compart-
ment, there was a "road surface" of dimensions 13" x 35" and 18"
deep, with a false bottom in the tank arranged to divert any pene-
trating fluids to a collection bottle below the tank. The surface
of the material in the tank was sloped such that runoff of waters
and oils could be contained in a large bottle adjacent to the tank.
Each "road surface" was roughened to simulate a lightly scarified
condition as observed on the test roads. Oil was applied to each
tank compartment at a rate of 0.05 gpsf . The tank was then allowed
to stand indoors for a period of three days. "Rain" was applied,
corresponding to the June and July rainfall averages for the Flem-
ington area, (See Table 3) on each of two days to the oiled sand
and clay compartments. "Rain" and oil were applied through appro-
priate spray nozzels from pressurized containers. It is recognized
that application rates of oils to sand roads may differ from those
10
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TABLE 2
Test No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Oil Type
1*
1*
1*
2**
2**
2**
(Applied to <
2**
WEATHERING DATA
Temperature °F Time (hours) Weight Loss
90
100
100
100
100
100
100
72
360
360
288
288
354
354
5.97
9.05
7.29
18.15
16.43
16.13
17.07
(Applied to clay)
* Local service station
** Waste oil collector
11
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TABLE 3
RAINFALL DATA, FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY
1931 - 1960
1951 - 1960 Averages
Month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
TOTAL
Average (in.) # Rains > 0.1 in. # Rains > 0.5 in.
3.32
2.78
3.99
3.80
4.01
3.80
4.52
5.02
3.59
3.32
3.74
3.42
6
7
8
9
6
6
6
7
5
6
7
6
2
2
4
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
3
45.31
12
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of clay roads and that rainfall averages for sandy soil areas may be
slightly different. However, the intent of the experiment was
observation of mechanisms rather than quantification. Oil was
again applied at the above rate and "rains" corresponding to the
August and September rainfalls were applied and collected. Com-
plete data is presented in Table 4.
The principal observations derived from this experiment were:
a. The oil penetrated the clay to a depth of about
1 mm below the scarified level.
b. Even though the surface was scarified, the oil
ran off the clay during application and "puddled"
in the lowest portion of the road surface.
c. Application of "rain" to the clay road washed
oil from the puddled area and leached oil from
the clay surface. Additionally, some oil-wet
particles floated with the rain runoff and were
carried from the road surface.
d. There was no penetration of oil or water entirely
through the clay column.
e. The oil penetrated the sand "road surface" to a
depth of a few grain diameters, and was evenly
distributed over the sand with no puddling.
f. Application of "rain" caused the flotation of oil-
wet sand particles, which were then carried with
the rain runoff into the collection container.
g. Some leaching of oil from the sand was observed,
however, the predominant mechanism of oil trans-
port from the sand road surface was by flotation
of oil-wet sand particles.
h. After application of two simulated monthly rain-
falls (June and July), approximately 20% of the
total quantity of oil-wet sand particles had been
transported by runoff from the road surface.
i. Ten liters of water penetrated the 18 inch deep
column of sand. The water contained 12.2 ml of
hydrocarbon material.
13
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TABLE 4
LABORATORY RUNOFF STUDY
Time Oil Applied "Rain" Applied Runoff
(days) (ml) (1) Sand Clay
Water Oil Water Oil
(1) (ml) (1) (ml)
0 600 - -
3
4
5 600
6
7
Total water penetration through the sand column was 10.0 liters of
water containing 12.2 ml of hydrocarbons. No penetration was
observed through the clay column.
28.3
33.7
37.4
26.7
20.5
20.9
31.5
19.5
80.2
101.2
77.1
29.5
26.0
32.5
37.0
23.4
37.5
15.8
89.7
5.3
14
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7. Biodegradation
The rate of biodegradation of the oils in the surface of the road
material will depend principally upon the presence of hydrocarbon
consuming microorganisms, the moisture content of the soil, the
presence of the nutrient materials, nitrogen and phosphorous, and
ambient temperature. No attempt was made to estimate the amount of
total applied oil which has been biodegraded in the road surface.
It is our opinion that biodegradation will account for a small
amount of the oil loss, in relation to other physical oil move-
ment mechanisms such as violatilization and runoff. It should
be noted that the road surface moisture content is low when the
oil is applied, and that when rain occurs physical mechanisms are
predominate.
8. Adhesion to Vehicles and Dust Transport
It is recognized that oil is transported along the test road by
adhesion to tires and underbodies of passing vehicles, and rede-
posited in some manner. However, no satisfactory method has been
defined to account for such transport. Similarly, it is felt that
some oil may adhere to dust particles and be transported by wind
from the road surface (see below), but no quantitation of this
mechanism was attempted.
9. Analysis of Trace Quantities of Crankcase Oil in Runoff Waters
A stream which receives runoff waters from one of the test roads,
Woodschurch Road, was examined to determined if crankcase oils
were present. Two oil patches each of several square inches in
area and having "rainbow" colors were noted in shallow pools on the
banks of the small stream. Presumably, the oils were deposited in
their noted locations during a period of high stream flow. Sam-
pling and analysis of the oil patch indicated that the sample
hydrocarbons bore great similarity to the hydrocarbons extracted
from the surface material of Woodschurch Road. In addition, the
sample hydrocarbons were similar to waste crankcase oil, but dif-
ferent from ten other common oils tested including #2 and #6 fuel
oils. Analysis was made by comparing the fluorescent spectral
properties of the known materials with those of the sample.
10. Lead in Soils and Plants
Waste crankcase oils have been reported to contain up to
1% lead by weight2 (See Table 5). If ecological damage were to
result from the application of waste oils to roads, the high lead
content of the oils could have significant bearing on that damage.
Therefore, tests were made to determine if the lead was leaving
the road. Samples were taken from oiled and unoiled stretches of
15
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road, from drainage ditches at the sides of the roads, from a
field 150 feet away from the oiled road, and at the outfall of a
pipe carrying runoff water from several hundred feet of oiled road,
Lead analyses of plant and soil samples from these areas are pre-
sented in Table 6. Some of the more significant results are:
a. The average lead concentration in the oiled
sections of road was 209.25 mg/kg as compared
to an average lead concentration in the un-
oiled sections of 39.0 mg/kg.
b. The soil samples taken in the (wheat) field
150 feet from the road show an average value
of 24.0 mg/kg which is somewhat higher than
the expected background for the soil near a
rural road.3
c. The plant samples taken in the same field as
(b) above showed an average lead concentration
of 33.5 mg/kg, which is higher than the ex-
pected background level.3
d. A possible explanation of (b) and (c) above is
that there may be a transport mechanism in
effect which associates lead (and/or oil) with
dust particles which are blown from the road
surface by wind. The field is higher in the
overall drainage pattern than the road.
e. The soil samples taken at the outfall of the
drain pipe carrying runoff water from the
road showed an average lead concentration of
87.0 mg/kg.
f. Lead level in the oil sample provided by the
waste oil collector averaged 350 ppm for
three replicates.
g. Lead level in the waste oil from the local
service station was 525 ppm average for
three replicates. (Results by atomic absorb-
tion spectrophotometer.)
11. Biological Assessment of Lead in Test Aquatic Organisms
Aquatic organisms from a stream passing beneath one of the test
roads (Foot Hill Road) were analyzed for lead content (See
Table 7). A small stream passed perpendicular to the oiled
road, and drainage from the road entered the stream at the
crossing. The stream uphill of the test road did not receive
16
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TABLE 5
TYPICAL COMPOSITION OF WASTE CRANKCASE OILS
From FINAL REPORT OF THE API TASK FORCE ON USED OIL DISPOSAL
Port Mobil Test Fuel Inspections
Gravity, °API
Viscosity @ 100°F, CS
Viscosity @ 100°F, SUS
Viscosity @ 210°F, CS
Viscosity @ 21QOF, SUS
Flash Point, °F
Water (by Distillation)
% Volume
BS&W, % Volume
Sulfur, % Wt.
Ash, Sulfated % Wt.
Lead
Calcium, % Wt.
Zinc, % Wt.
Phosphorous, % Wt.
Barium, ppm
Iron, ppm
Vanadium, ppm
(1) Viscosity, Furol @
(2) Poor Separation on
Waste Oil
(Weighted Average
of Four Deliveries)
24.6
53.3
248
9.18
56.4
215 (C.O.C. Flash)
4.4
0.6(2)
0.34
1.81
1.11% Wt.
0.17
0.08
0.09
568
356
<5
122°F. 188
Waste Oil
No. 6 Fuel
15.7
915.7(1)
4239
33.5
158
192 (P.M. Flash)
0.7
1.9
0.08
59 ppm
440
17
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TABLE 6
Woodschurch Road
Oil Road Surface
Foot Hill Road
Oil Road Surface
Foot Hill Road
Unoiled Road Surface
LEAD ANALYSIS RESULTS
Sample Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
Woodschurch Road
Drainage ditch bottom soil
(Rocks, hard soil)
Drainage ditch
Plants from side
Foot Hill Road
Drainage ditch bottom soil
(Soft soil)
Woodschurch Road
Samples from field 50 yds. from road
Soil
Plants (wheat stubble)
Soil samples from field at end of
drainage culvert (carrying runoff)
Waste oil samples from waste oil collector
20% #5 Fuel Oil sludge
80% Waste crankcase oil
Waste oil from local service station
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Lead Content mg/kg
184.0
223.0
172.0
258.0
Avg
36.0
42.0
Avg
42.0
59.0
Avg
42.0
16.0
Avg
122.0
150.0
Avg
= 209.25
= 39.0
= 50.5
29.0
136.0
25.0
23.0
Avg = 24.0
32.0
35.0
Avg = 33.5
96.0
78.0
Avg
87.0
350 ppm
(Avg of 3 applications)
525 ppm
(Avg. of 3 applications)
18
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any other runoff and was, therefore, designated "control".
The stream section downhill from the test road received the
runoff from approximately 1,000 feet of 12 foot wide road,
of which roughly 500 feet had been oiled. This stream sec-
tion was designated "contaminated". A variety of aquatic
organisms with varying feeding habits were collected, classified
and analyzed for lead content from each of the stream sections.
Collections were made approximately 100 yards upstream from the
road on the control side, and approximately 200 yards downstream
on the "contaminated side".
The results of the lead analysis of tissues of the sample aquatic
invertebrates are at best sketchy. These data are not consistent
with some of the control taxa exhibiting higher lead concentra-
tions than the same taxa from the exposed section of the stream.
The herbivorous mayflies from the "contaminated" area tend to have
more lead in their tissues than do the control organisms (see
pairs 1 and 2), but the predatory dipteran, Tjtpula, and the stone-
flies, which contain the carnivor, Acroneuria, show a reverse
trend (see pairs 3 and 4). The filter-feeding blackflies exhibit
more lead from the exposed area, possibly indicating a trannport
of lead in suspension, but the web building caddis fly, Cheumato-
p syche, shows a slight reversal of this tendency (see pairs 5 and
6). The omnivorous crayfish show no difference in lead content
(see pair 7).
12. Estimate of Lead Remaining in TestJRgaj.
Total Lead Applied
Total oil applied: 2930 —^11.
rr yd road surface
Lead =0.7% oil by wt.
0.007 x 2930 = 20.51 ^g^ ,
yd road surface
Lead Remaining in Road
Pb in oiled surface
Avg. concentration: 290.25 mg/kg
Pb in unoiled surface
Avg. concentration: 39.0 mg/kg
Net lead contributed by oil: 170.25 mg/kg
19
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TAXA
TABLE 7
ANALYSIS OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS FOR LEAD
CONTROL
CONTAMINATED
Pair
No.
fstonenema
herbivorous mayfly
nymphs
Ephemerella
herbivorous mayfly
nymphs
Ameletus
herbivorous mayfly
nymphs
Paraleptophlebia
herbivorous mayfly
nymphs
"Acroneuria
carnivorous stonefly
nymphs
Allocapnia
herbivorous stonefly
nymphs
4 Tipula
carnivorous cranefly
larvae
5 Simulidae
filter feeding
blackfly larvae
6 Cheumatopsyche
web-feeding caddis
fly larvae
7 Cambarus bartonl
omnivorous crayfish 2.771
adult
Dry Wt.
gm
.107
.104
.122
.065
No. Pb
in sample ppm Dry Wt .
10
14.22
904
151
20.74
75
Dry Wt.
gm
.064
.087
.095
.023
No. Pb
in sample ppm Dry Wt.
6
46.36
382
68
38.14
28
.073
.116
.159
.701
.059
165
2075
76
54.8
44.03
14.26
50.80
19.84
.156
.062
2.066
.063
.088
1.546
17
97
14
207
60
41.28
17.42
71.43
45.45
18.11
20
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. nriA,-. Ib Pb , ,,, Ib road
0.00017 — r-3 — , x 4,644 — rg - ,
yd road yd road
. 0.789 "Pb
yd road
Percentage of Pb Applied which Remains
13. Sampling Procedures
Road Surface
The test roads were sampled for concentration of hydrocarbons at
various depths. Six inch diameter holes were bored in the road
with a portable gasoline powered post hole auger. After scraping
the sides of the hole to remove extraneous material, 50 - 100 gram
samples were removed from the sides of the hole at the depths of
interest. The "surface" sample was made up of a composite of sur-
face material from the top inch of road. Other samples were taken
from approximately one onch thick layers of road material, with
the center of the layer being at the depth of interest. The holes
were bored as deep as was possible with the equipment used; the
road was apparently underlain with a very hard material which was
impenetrable to the borer.
Samples for Pb were taken from the road surface only. All road
samples were placed in plastic bags for transportation to the
laboratory .
Soil
The soil samples in the drainage ditches and at the discharge end
of the drainage culvert were taken by dislodging a small amount of
(frozen) soil with a pick, and placing the sample in a plastic
bag. The soil samples from the wheat field 150 feet from the road
were taken from cultivated soil by the same technique. Samples
were placed in plastic bags for transportation to the laboratory.
Plants
Plant samples collected in the field 150 feet away from the road
were from the previous year's growth of wheat, and were taken by
breaking off the wheat stalk at the ground, and placing the sample
in a plastic bag. Grass samples from the drainage ditches were
taken by breaking off the grass at the soil line by hand, and
placing the samples in plastic bags.
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Aquatic Organisms
Benthic organisms were sampled by disturbing the stream bottom
material and allowing the organisms to be collected in a 500 y
mesh sampling net. The samples were preserved at the sampling
site in 70% ethanol.
14. Analysis Techniques
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbon material was extracted from samples with carbon
tetrachloride (4 extractions at 25 cc each for a 1 liter sample),
and the infrared spectral peak at 2930 cm 1 compared to the peak
of known concentrations of similar oils in similar solvent.
Lead
Samples were prepared in accordance with ASTM designation D-1548-63
(for vanadium, adapted by the Edison Laboratory for lead). The de-
tection method was atomic absorbtion spectrophotometry.
22
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SECTION V
DISCUSSION
When attempting to quantify the oil runoff from the test road, it is
obvious that only a small fraction of the oil applied to the road can
be accounted for as remaining in the road and volatilizing. Unfortun-
nately, no satisfactory scheme can be found to account for oil trans-
ported from the road by adhesion to vehicles and dust transport, nor
can the effect of biodegradation be easily quantified. It is there-
fore impossible to assign a numerical value to the amount of oil which
runs off the road by subtracting the sum of other effects from the
amount of oil applied.
However, Figures 2 through 5 clearly indicate that oil moves from the
surface of the test road with rain runoff, and anlytical results pre-
sented above indicated that oil found on the banks of a stream receiv-
ing runoff from the test road is similar in composition to oil extracted
from the test road surface.
It is the opinion of this investigator that volatilization, adhesion to
vehicles, and biodegradation taken all together probably account for
only 25 - 30% of the oil applied to the road surface. The 70 - 75% of
the oil applied which leaves the roads by dust transport and runoff
could have significant ecological effects as a result of the oil or its
accompanying heavy metals, or both.
It seems significant to relate that the rural roads in question are
oiled twice yearly to suppress dust. The oilings are performed in
late June and late August, which indicates that the oil has lost its
capability to suppress dust during July and August, and from August to
June. It seems fair to assume that the predominant mechanisms of oil
loss from the road in the summer are volatilization and possibly dust
transport. During the other months, rain runoff is most likely the
predominant mechanism, since roughly 80% of the yearly rainfall occurs
during the months September through June (see Table 2). In leaving
the road through the various mechanisms described, the oil does not
perform its intended function of dust suppression, however, it does
pose a significant threat of ecological damage.
23
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SECTION VI
REFERENCES
1. U.S. Attorney's Office, New York, New York. Estimate
based upon Study of Waste Oil Disposal Practices in
Massachusetts, January 1969 by A. D. Little, Inc. and
other sources.
2. American Petroleum Institute, Final Report on the Task
Force on Used Oil Disposal.
3. Motto, H. L., et al. Lead in Soils and Plants: Its
Relationship to Traffic Volume and Proximity to High-
ways, Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 4,
March 1970, pgs. 231-237.
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L^X—
ROAD SAMPLE LOCATIONS
NUMBERED 1 THRU 4
TEST STREAM
PLANT &
SOIL SAMPLES
STREAM RUNOFF
SAMPLE LOCATION
TEST LOCATIONS MAP
ADAPTED FROM THE
FLEMINGTON, N.J.
U.S.G.S. QUADRANGLE
Figure 1
26
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Figure 2
Woodschurch Road looking north from our sampling station.
Bluish tint on road surface is due to oil. Photo taken after
a light rain, and six months after the last oiling in August 1971,
Figure 3
Blue oil patch has been squeezed from soft road surface
material by compression of vehicle tires. When walking
on oiled sections of this road, one's footprints become
tinted bluish.
27
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Figure 4
Oil on puddle surface, Woodschurch Road.
Figure 5
Oil which has been squeezed from road surface material
moves with water runoff toward drainage ditch at the
side of the road.
28
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Figure 6
Oil on the surface of a drainage ditch at the side of the
road. This oily water will be transported from this ditch
into streams during periods of rain.
» U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 18T2 O - 490-J24
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