Hydrocarbon pollution represents a new, unfavorable, ecological factor which may lead to permanent changes in the biological structure of the oceans and coastal waters, and which finally may reduce their productivity. Literature cited George, M., 1961. Oil pollution of marine organisms. Nature, Lond. 192 (4808), 1209. Google Scholar
What are the harmful effects of hydrocarbons?
Why are hydrocarbon bad for the environment?
- Indirect Effects of Hydrocarbons on the Environment. There are indirect effects such as burning them to release carbon dioxide, and NOX, SOX and POX etc, these might then be further ...
- Direct Effects of Hydrocarbons on the Environment. ...
- Hydrocarbons in Groundwater. ...
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Why saturated hydrocarbon are called paraffins?
As alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, they do not undergo addition reactions. As carbon- hydrogen and carbon -carbon bonds are quite strong, alkanes are much lesser reactive than alkenes & alkynes. So they were earlier called paraffins but they undergo many substitution reactions. 399 views
What is the main source of oil pollution?
What is the main source of oil pollution in the ocean? Accidental or deliberate, operational discharges and spills of oil from ships, especially tankers, offshore platforms and pipelines, is the most obvious and visible cause of oil pollution of the marine environment.
Why are saturated hydrocarbons called paraffins?
Saturated Hydrocarbons – Those hydrocarbons which contain only single bonds between Carbon atoms are called saturated hydrocarbons. These are also called paraffins (Parum – small, affinis – affinity) as these are chemically less reactive. Ex.-CH4, CH3CH3 , CH3CH2CH3 , CH3CH2CH2CH3 , CH3CH2CH2CH2CH3. Unsaturated Hydrocarbons –
How do hydrocarbons cause pollution?
The combustion of hydrocarbon fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as other greenhouse gases that contribute to atmospheric pollution and climate change. Unlike fossil fuel impurities that result in byproduct emissions, CO2 is an unavoidable result of hydrocarbon combustion.
What is hydrocarbon in environment?
The term hydrocarbon refers to an organic chemical compound that is composed exclusively of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Hydrocarbons are naturally-occurring and form the basis of crude oil, natural gas, coal, and other important energy sources.
Does hydrocarbon pollute?
Hydrocarbons can become a type of air pollution during the combustion of fuel sources, but the most common cause of hydrocarbon contamination is the spillage of crude oil or other industrial commodities.
What are the effects of hydrocarbons?
When a hydrocarbon gets into the stomach, it usually passes through the body with little more than burping and an episode of diarrhea. However, if it enters the lungs, it can cause a pneumonia-like condition; irreversible, permanent lung damage; and even death.
What is hydrocarbon with example?
(a) Hydrocarbon is a compound of hydrogen and carbon. Examples for hydrocarbons are methane (CH4) , ethane (C2H6)and ethyne (C2H2). All these compounds are hydrocarbons as they are only made of hydrogen and carbon elements which is evident from their respective molecular formulae.
How can hydrocarbon pollution be reduced?
The remediation of hydrocarbon polluted wastewater can be achieved by three methods, which are phytoremediation, bioremediation and chemical remediation. Phytoremediation entails the use of plants to reduce the volume, mobility and toxicity of contaminants in soil and water.
What are sources of hydrocarbons?
The natural sources of hydrocarbons include coal, petroleum, and natural gas.
Why is hydrocarbon bad?
Swallowing or inhaling hydrocarbons can cause lung irritation, with coughing, choking, shortness of breath, and neurologic problems. Sniffing or breathing fumes can cause irregular heartbeats, rapid heart rate, or sudden death, particularly after exertion or stress.
What are the four main categories of hydrocarbon pollutants?
The four categories of hydrocarbon pollutants are alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and aromatic hydrocarbon.
How does hydrocarbon affect our daily lives?
Which hydrocarbons are used most in modern life? Hydrocarbons are the principal constituents of petroleum and natural gas. They serve as fuels and lubricants as well as raw materials for the production of plastics, fibres, rubbers, solvents, explosives, and industrial chemicals. Learn more about petroleum.
How is hydrocarbon formed?
Hydrocarbon gas liquids are derived from natural gas and crude oil. Hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGLs) are produced when raw natural gas is processed at natural gas processing plants and when crude oil is refined into petroleum products.
What is considered hydrocarbon?
Natural gas and crude oil are mixtures of different hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are molecules of carbon and hydrogen in various combinations. Hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGLs) are hydrocarbons that occur as gases at atmospheric pressure and as liquids under higher pressures.
Is hydrocarbon harmful to humans?
Swallowing or inhaling hydrocarbons can cause lung irritation, with coughing, choking, shortness of breath, and neurologic problems. Sniffing or breathing fumes can cause irregular heartbeats, rapid heart rate, or sudden death, particularly after exertion or stress.
What happens to hydrocarbons in the atmosphere?
The release of hydrocarbons into the atmosphere contributes to photochemical ozone (O3) production, with related adverse health effects, reduction in plant growth, and climate change (1–3).
What are 3 examples of hydrocarbons?
What are hydrocarbon gas liquids?Ethane—C2H6Propane—C3H8Butanes: normal butane and isobutane—C4H10Natural gasoline or pentanes plus—C5H12 and heavier.
How do we use hydrocarbons in everyday life?
The most important use of hydrocarbons is for fuel. Gasoline, natural gas, fuel oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel, coal, kerosene, and propane are just some of the commonly used hydrocarbon fuels. Hydrocarbons are also used to make things, including plastics and synthetic fabrics such as polyester.
What is a hydrocarbon?
A hydrocarbon is any of a class of organic chemicals made up of only the elements carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). The carbon atoms join together to fo...
Which hydrocarbons are used most in modern life?
Hydrocarbons are the principal constituents of petroleum and natural gas. They serve as fuels and lubricants as well as raw materials for the produ...
Are there different types of hydrocarbons?
Nineteenth-century chemists classified hydrocarbons as either aliphatic or aromatic on the basis of their sources and properties. Aliphatic (from G...
How does the use of hydrocarbons affect global warming and climate change?
Hydrocarbons make up fossil fuels. One of the main by-products of fossil fuel combustion is carbon dioxide (CO2). The ever-increasing use of fossil...
What are the causes of hydrocarbon pollution?
Water contaminated with hydrocarbons is known to be carcinogenic, neurotoxin, and mutagenic to flora and fauna [ 25 ]. Contaminated lands, oil spillage, pesticides, automobile oils, and urban stormwater discharges are the major causes for the hydrocarbon contamination.
Why is hydrocarbon pollution important?
Pollution caused by increasing the use of crude oil is ordinary because of its extensive application and its related transport and dumping problems . Crude oil contains a complex mixture of aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic compounds. Soil naturally consists of heavy metals, and due to human action like refining of oil and use of pesticides, their concentration in soil is rising. Several areas have such high heavy metal and metalloid concentration that surrounding natural ecosystem has been badly affected. The reason is that heavy metals and metalloids limit microbe’s activity rendering it unsuitable for hydrocarbon degradation, thus reducing its effectiveness. Environmental remediation is thus extremely necessary and involves with the elimination of pollutants from soil, air, and water. In the last several decades, different methods have been employed and applied for the cleanup of our environment which includes mechanical, chemical, and biochemical remediation methods. The hydrocarbon pollution consists of many aspects like oil spills, fossil fuels, organic pollutants like aromatics, etc. that are discussed below.
How are pollutants remediated?
Contaminated land and water are remediated more feasibly by using plants involving a variety of pollutant attenuation mechanisms than physical and chemical remediation techniques [ 54, 55, 56, 57, 58 ]. Plants due to their sedentary nature had developed various abilities for dealing with hazardous compounds. Plants serve as solar-driven pumping and filtering systems as they take up pollutants from the soil through the roots which is transported to various parts of the plant by the help of plant tissues where they can be volatilized, metabolized, or sequestered [ 57, 59 ]. Different types of mechanisms are used by the plant for removing the pollutants from the soil. They consist of biophysical and biochemical processes such as adsorption, translocation, and transport, as well as mineralization and transformation by plant enzymes are the mechanisms of phytoremediation [ 8 ]. Halogenated substances like TCE are degraded by plants using oxidative degradation pathways, and it includes plant-specific dehalogenases. After the death of the plant, the dehalogenase activity is still maintained [ 60 ]. Laccases, P450 monooxygenases, nitroreductases, dioxygenases, phosphatases, peroxidases, dehalogenases, and nitrilases are various contaminant-degrading enzymes which are present in plants [ 61, 62, 63 ]. The basic physiological mechanisms involved in phytoremediation in higher plants and related microorganisms, such as mineral nutrition, photosynthesis, transpiration, and metabolism. The root of the plant is responsible for the uptake of the organic and inorganic compounds from the soil, and it can bind and stabilize substance on its external surfaces on interaction with microorganism in the rhizosphere. Uptake or release of molecules occurs through exchanging gases from the aerial plant’s parts with the atmosphere [ 64 ]. For addressing different contaminants in different substrates, six phytotechnologies have been recognized by Interstate Technology and Regulatory Cooperation:
What are the worst pollutants?
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PC Bs) due to carcinogenicity, toxicity, and slow biodegradation in the nature are well thought-out to be the worst pollutants [ 8] of commercial PCBs of about hundreds of thousands of metric tons are persevere in aquatic sediments [ 9 ]. In adhesives and lubricants, dielectric fluids in flame retardants, transformers, hydraulic fluids, and plasticizers, PCBs are widely used. PCBs are released from disposal and spillage [ 10 ].
What are the sources of organic contaminants?
Major sources which are responsible for organic contaminants are anthropogenic activities including the use of fuels, solvents, and pesticides. Various organic compounds are harmful and are related to health concerns globally.
What is responsible for heavy metal contamination?
Human sources are mainly responsible for the heavy metal contamination, but contamination due to natural and biological processes are also common which includes:
Is oil biodegradable?
The oil constituents vary particularly in susceptibility, volatility, and volubility to biodegradation. A number of substances are easily degraded, some are non-biodegradable, and some oppose degradation. Diverse species of microbes preferentially attack diverse compounds due to this biodegradation of petroleum that occurs at different rates but concurrently. Enzymes produced by microorganisms in the presence of sources of carbon are accountable for attacking the hydrocarbon molecules. Hydrocarbon present in the petroleum is degraded by different enzymes and metabolic pathways. Hydrocarbon degradation is prevented by the lack of suitable enzyme [ 66 ].
What causes harmful emissions and polluting exhaust?
What causes these vehicles to create harmful emissions and polluting exhaust? It’s all in the combustion. The incomplete combustion of these fuels can cause the hydrocarbons to react with nitrogen oxides (often produced from high temperatures and oxygen in excess of the amount needed to burn the fuel). Then when the resultant gases hit the sunlight, they form ground-level ozone aka smog.
What happens when hydrocarbons hit sunlight?
Then when the resultant gases hit the sunlight, they form ground-level ozone aka smog. Now the volume of hydrocarbon-based fuels being used along with the efficiency, or inefficiency, of the cars’ engines will determine the amount of ground-level ozone/smog being produced.
How to improve combustion of hydrocarbon fuel?
How do you do that? Well, a few factors are key: First you should ensure you keep your engine clean and tune up your car regularly. Built-up and unburned fuel can clog your engine and hinder future combustion. Second you should use a proven fuel additive that will help un-bundle the hydrocarbon molecules, allowing oxygen easier access and thus producing a more complete burn.
How much of the air pollution is caused by diesel cars?
For example, these types of vehicles are reportedly responsible for about 60% of the air pollution in most major cities.
Can unburned fuel clog an engine?
Built-up and unburned fuel can clog your engine and hinder future combustion. Second you should use a proven fuel additive that will help un-bundle the hydrocarbon molecules, allowing oxygen easier access and thus producing a more complete burn.
What is a hydrocarbon?
A hydrocarbon is any of a class of organic chemicals made up of only the elements carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). The carbon atoms join together to form the framework of the compound, and the hydrogen atoms attach to them in many different configurations.
What are hydrocarbons classified as?
Nineteenth-century chemists classified hydrocarbons as either aliphatic or aromatic on the basis of their sources and properties. Aliphatic (from Greek aleiphar, “fat”) hydrocarbons derive from the chemical breakdown of fats or oils. They are divided into alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes.
How does the use of hydrocarbons affect global warming and climate change?
The ever-increasing use of fossil fuels in industry, transportation, and construction has added large amounts of CO 2 to Earth’s atmosphere. Atmospheric CO 2 concentrations fluctuated between 275 and 290 parts per million by volume (ppmv) of dry air between 1000 CE and the late 18th century but had increased to 316 ppmv by 1959 and rose to 412 ppmv in 2018. CO 2 behaves as a greenhouse gas —that is, it absorbs infrared radiation (net heat energy) emitted from Earth’s surface and reradiates it back to the surface. Thus, the substantial CO 2 increase in the atmosphere is a major contributing factor to human-induced global warming.
What is the classification of hydrocarbons?
Nineteenth-century chemists classified hydrocarbons as either aliphatic or aromatic on the basis of their sources and properties .
What are the elements that make up a hydrocarbon?
hydrocarbon, any of a class of organic chemical compounds composed only of the elements carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). The carbon atoms join together to form the framework of the compound, and the hydrogen atoms attach to them in many different configurations. Hydrocarbons are the principal constituents of petroleum and natural gas. They serve as fuels and lubricants as well as raw materials for the production of plastics, fibres, rubbers, solvents, explosives, and industrial chemicals.
What are the main by-products of fossil fuel combustion?
Hydrocarbons make up fossil fuels. One of the main by-products of fossil fuel combustion is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The ever-increasing use of fossil fuels in industry, transportation, and construction has added large amounts of CO 2 to Earth’s atmosphere.
Which hydrocarbons have a sigma bond?
Alkanes, hydrocarbons in which all the bonds are single, have molecular formulas that satisfy the general expression C n H 2n + 2 (where n is an integer). Carbon is sp3 hybridized (three electron pairs are involved in bonding, forming a tetrahedral complex), and each C—C and C—H bond is a sigma (σ) bond ( see chemical bonding ). In order of increasing number of carbon atoms, methane (CH 4 ), ethane (C 2 H 6 ), and propane (C 3 H 8) are the first three members of the series.
How do hydrocarbons affect the environment?
Hydrocarbon emissions are raising the temperature of our atmosphere, oceans, and earth . Hydrocarbons pollute our water sources , stunt the growth of crops , endanger forests, and cause cancer in both humans and animals. We have no choice but to get our hydrocarbon emissions under control.
What are hydrocarbons?
Hydrocarbons are a double-edged sword. On one hand, hydrocarbon emissions constitute both the largest sum of pollutants from fossil fuel combustion and the most dangerous. On the other hand, hydrocarbons are the single most critical component of modern society. Hydrocarbons make the world go around. Literally, hydrocarbons are the reason we can ...
Why are combustion emissions higher?
As a result of the fact that large hydrocarbon molecules do not oxygenate as efficiently as smaller hydro carbon molecules, combustion emissions are higher. But again, combustion emissions do not tell the whole story. Bunker fuel, fuel oil, and diesel are very stable and do not evaporate easily.
How many types of hydrocarbons are there?
There are three types of hydrocarbons. There are saturated hydrocarbons, unsaturated hydrocarbons, and there are aromatic hydrocarbons. Each type of hydrocarbon isomer has different compound traits. Each hydrocarbon isomer combusts differently. And, each type of hydrocarbon produces different combustion emissions.
Why are hydrocarbons important?
Literally, hydrocarbons are the reason we can travel and move goods around the world. And, the vast majority of those goods are products of hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons — petroleum — are used to make everything from crayons, toothpaste, clothes, and aspirin to vehicles, computers, cell phones, and medical supplies.
Which is the least valuable hydrocarbon?
The chemical composition of methane — the least valuable and one of the most destructive hydrocarbons — for example, is one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. That is a carbon-to-hydrogen ratio of 1-to-4. A considerably more valuable hydrocarbon gas is propane.
Is it possible to burn fossil fuels?
But, the complete combustion of a fuel is — currently — impossible to obtain. Both the nature of fossil fuels and the limitations of technology make a complete burn possible only in theory. As a result, to one degree or another, all combustion is incomplete.
What are the main pollutants in the atmosphere?
In more recent times, there are other powerful PAH pollutants as well: 1 smoking and vehicle emissions 2 the manufacturing of various metals 3 shale oil extraction 4 the processing of coke, calcium carbide, creosote etc. 5 the production of rubber tires 6 asphalt manufacturing 7 natural gas power stations
Why are PAHs considered a pollutant?
Toxicity. PAHs are among the most common pollutants throughout human history, because they occur naturally as a result of many basic human activities. The most widely encountered PAH-producing activity in older times was cooking on a wood-burning stove or grill, and heating houses through wood burning activities.
What are the properties of polyaromatic hydrocarbons?
Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (also known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) are organic compounds made up of carbon and hydrogen. Under various combinations, they can form more than 100 chemicals, all of which are toxic in certain amounts and to certain degrees.
Is polyaromatic hydrocarbon toxic?
Polyaromatic hydrocarbons are thought to be extremely old compounds, with essential roles in the formation of stars, planets and possibly life itself. However, they are also extremely toxic to humans, and are present in countless shapes and forms all around us, from wood smoke and cigarette smoke to vehicle exhaust.
What is bioremediation of oil contaminated sites?
Bioremediation of oil contaminated sites is an efficient alternative to the conventional mechanical and chemical processes that is gaining worldwide attention. This technique utilizes the natural biological activity of microorganisms or enzymes to transform the toxic petroleum components into less toxic or harmless metabolites. Bioremediation requires the addition of nitrate or sulphate fertilizers to aid the decomposition of hydrocarbon compounds. Advantages of bioremediation are: it can be applied directly at the site, low cost, the degradation of pollutants do not produce side effects, and that it is a technology worldwide acceptable. Downsides of of bioremediation are: (1) its application is restricted to petroleum components that are microbially degradable and (2) the bioremediation process take long times for completion. Hydrocarbon compounds having high aromaticity, chlorinated compounds, or having other resistant toxic functional groups are resistant to microbial attack and are almost impossible to degrade at aerobic conditions. However, these compounds can be degraded under anaerobic conditions. In this technique, the contaminated site is supplied with an oil degrading microorganism or a consortium of microorganisms that may be indigenous or isolated from elsewhere and inoculated into the contaminated site, which is known as bioaugmentation. For bioremediation to be effective, microorganisms must enzymatically attack the pollutants during their metabolic processes. Microorganisms synthesize surfactants known as biosurfactants, which have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains and are capable of lowering the surface tension and the interfacial tension of the growth medium. Biosurfactants are synthesized during the bacterial growth period on water-immiscible substrates, providing an alternative to chemically prepared conventional surfactants. In the case of the bacterial degradation of hydrocarbons, microbial cells synthesize biosurfactants that solublizes oil droplets into the aqueous phase making easier the oil uptake by microbial cells as shown in Fig. 2 ( Cameotra et al., 1983, Ganesh and Lin, 2009).
Is petroleum a problem?
Hydrocarbon contamination in the environment is a very serious problem whether it comes from petroleum, pesticides or other toxic organic matter. Environmental pollution caused by petroleum is of great concern because petroleum hydrocarbons are toxic to all forms of life. Environmental contamination by crude oil is relatively common because of its widespread use and its associated disposal operations and accidental spills. The term petroleum is referred to an extremely complex mixture of a wide variety of low and high molecular weight hydrocarbons. This complex mixture contains saturated alkanes, branched alkanes, alkenes, napthenes (homo-cyclics and hetero-cyclics), aromatics (including aromatics containing hetero atoms like sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen, and other heavy metal complexes), naptheno-aromatics, large aromatic molecules like resins, asphaltenes, and hydrocarbon containing different functional groups like carboxylic acids, ethers, etc. Crude oil also contains heavy metals and much of the heavy metal content of crude oil is associated with pyrrolic structures known as porphyrins. Petroleum is refined into various fractions such as light oil, naphtha, kerosene, diesel, lube oil waxes, and asphaltenes, etc. The light fractions, which are distilled at atmospheric pressure, are commonly known as light ends and the heavy fractions like lube oil and asphaltenes are known as the heavy ends. The light and the heavy ends of petroleum have different hydrocarbons composition, the light ends contain low molecular weight saturated hydrocarbons, unsaturated hydrocarbons, naphthenes, and low percentage of aromatic compounds; while the heavier ends consist of high molecular weight alkanes, alkenes, organometallic compounds, and high molecular weight aromatic compounds. This portion is comparatively rich in metals and N,S,O containing compounds. Figure 1 shows some of the chemical structures of common hydrocarbons compounds. These hydrocarbon molecules are widespread in the environment due to the wide range of petroleum uses, which are presented elsewhere (http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste /quick_topics/publications/pss/pcp/PetroleumProductDescriptions.pdf).
Is oil contaminated soil a threat?
At present, it is widely recognized that contaminated land or water systems are a potential threat to human health. Awareness of this reality has led to international efforts to remediate many of these sites, either as a response to the health risks or to control the detrimental effects on the environment caused by contamination aiming the recovery of the contaminated sites. For decades efforts have been directed toward the evaluation of cost effective methods to cleanup oil contaminated soils. Over the years, many cleanup methods have been developed and applied. However, the remediation of oil contaminated environments is difficult because petroleum is a complex mixture of chemical compounds, and their degradation whether chemical or biological is not easy as different class of compounds needs different treatments. Furthermore, crude oil composition is reservoir dependent; therefore it is of great importance to know first the composition of the oil and the physico-chemical nature of the contaminated site before deciding the remediation strategies. Crude oil degradation in the natural environment depends on several factors such as pH, chemical composition, and physical properties of the contaminated soil and/or water, among others.
Is petroleum toxic to living matter?
Living matter is exposed to petroleum in many ways directly or indirectly. Some byproducts, formed during petroleum refining and processing which are used for the manufacturing of other products are highly toxic. Constantly, these toxic compounds are inadvertently released into the environment and if this effect is connected to the effect of accidental crude oil spills worldwide, then these combined sources of unrestricted hydrocarbons constitute the major cause of environmental pollution. Despite the large number of hydrocarbons found in petroleum products, only a relatively small number of the compounds are well characterized for toxicity. Petroleum hydrocarbon molecules, which have a wide distribution of molecular weights and boiling points, cause diverse levels of toxicity to the environment. The toxicity of the hydrocarbon molecules and their availability for microbial metabolism depend on their chemical and physical nature. Petroleum is toxic and can be lethal depending upon the nature of the petroleum fraction, the way of exposure to it, and the time of exposure. Chemicals and dispersants in crude oil can cause a wide range of health effects in people and wildlife, depending on the level of exposure and susceptibility. The highly toxic chemicals contained in crude oil can damage any organ system in the human body like the nervous system, respiratory system, circulatory system, immune system, reproductive system, sensory system, endocrine system, liver, kidney, etc. and consequently can cause a wide range of diseases and disorders (Costello, 1979).
Is biosurfactant harmful to the environment?
Biosurfactants can also be applied to solubilise the oil, with the advantage that biosurfactants are generally not harmful to the environment. Sometimes in-situ burning of oil is also used as an optional method for oil spill remediation; however this method is applied only when the oil spill is fresh and the spilled oil layer is floating on the water surface or after the oil has been concentrated into a small area by the booms. This method has the downside that oil burning generates smoke and other by products, which pollutes the aquatic and atmospheric systems.