Petrochemical Industry

The petroleum refining industry has advanced from producing cheap kerosene as its main role during inception to its diversity today where the demands of modern transportation have led to production of gasoline, diesel and jet fuels. Industrial innovations have created the demand for petrochemical products such as lubricants, solvents, process oils and resins; also, specialty products like asphalt, wax and coke. Modern oil refineries produce a variety of different products including many that are used in the petrochemical industry as feedstock.

Employees who work in this industry are at risk for exposure to chemical compounds detrimental to their health and safety. Communities may also assume similar risks. Supelco offers a range of products for air monitoring of industrial conditions to assure worker and community safety.

Our air monitoring products are useful for sampling of Indoor Air and Ambient Air.

Oil Spill Response

Controlled Burning of Surface Oil
Initial efforts to reduce the spread of an oil spill often begin with controlled burning which tends to have less toxic effects than dispersant methods. During burning operations, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released from the crude oil into the air. In addition to VOCs, crude oil contains toxic metals such as mercury and lead and other combustion products at low levels such as aldehydes and acid gases.

Use of Dispersants
In certain oil spill situations, such as the devastating BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010; the US EPA and Coast Guard granted BP the authority to use approved dispersants on the surface and in deep water to reduce the impact of the spill on neighboring coastlines. Dispersants contain a mixture of solvents, surfactants and additives which act to break up the oil into less toxic compounds that degrade more readily thus reducing the impact of the oil’s toxicity to the environment. In most cases, crude oil is more toxic than the dispersants however; they have their own toxicity levels and are being used at significantly higher volumes where little is known about their environmental impact.

In the case of the BP Oil Spill, two dispersants were initially employed-Corexit™ EC9500A and EC9527A which contain the commonly known contaminants-propylene glycol and 2-butoxyethanol (known carcinogen). It is difficult to determine what these dispersants actually contain because their contents are not disclosed due to trade secrets. However, Corexit dispersants were employed for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill clean-up and health issues associated with their use are headaches, vomiting, respiratory system disorders, nervous system disorders, liver system disorders, blood disorders, and reproductive problems in high doses.

Contaminants of Interest for the Petrochemical Industry

• Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene (BTEX) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s)
• Methyl tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE)
• Polynuclear Aromatic Compounds (PACs/PAHs)
• Methyl-, Ethyl-, Butyl- Mercaptans
• Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide
• Aldehydes
• Acids - Inorganic
• Nickel Carbonyl
• Mercury and Lead
• Total and Respirable Dust