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Environmental impact of the petrochemical industry

Work made by:

Abel Almeida

Ana Moreira

Cristiana Pinto

School: Escola Secundária da Maia

Introduction

1

Petrochemical Industry

Petrochemical Industry

Petrochemical industry is the industrial activity of production of petroleum derivative products, usually made from the segregation of its components through distilation.

Environmental Impact

Environmental impact

  • In the extraction – destruction of habitats;
  • Transportation – spills / black tides;
  • Production of derivatives – formation of harmful residues (carbon monoxide, nitrogen and sulfur oxide and particulate matter);
  • Utilization of petroleum derivatives – production of harmful gases;

2

Black Tides

Ecological Problems

Ecological Problems

  • Asphyxiation of several fish due to decreased amount of dissolved oxygen;
  • Death of seabirds by ingestion of oil or drowning;
  • Contamination of marine mammals;
  • Destruction of coral reefs.

Socioeconomic Problems

Socioeconomic Problems

  • Comercial sectors are affected (fishing, aquaculture, tourism,...)
  • High financial expenses involved in cleaning

Prevention

Prevention

i. Pollutant's toxicity

  • The bigger the solubility, the greater the toxicity;
  • Benzene is the petroleum-related product with the highest toxicity.

ii. Prevention measures

  • Introduction of oil tanks with double hull;
  • Maintenance of vessels and crew training;
  • Improvement of navigation techniques (VTS);
  • Increase in the number of inspections;
  • Navigation Restrictions.

In case of accident

In case of accident

  • Detection equipment (side scanning radars, recording chambers, infrared and ultraviolet sensor antennas, laser sensors ...);
  • The decontamination of the affected areas is a difficult and slow process.

Historical examples

Historical examples

i. Exxon Valdez

  • Date: March 24, 1989;
  • Areas Affected: Prince William Sound, Alaska;
  • Spilled oil: 50,000m3;
  • Causes: Incompetence of the crew and lack of inspection by the Exxon Shipping company;
  • Consequences: death of several animals; health problems in the cleaning team; degradation of fisheries and tourism.

Historical examples

ii. Prestige

  • Date: November 13, 2002;
  • Affected areas: northern Portugal, Spain and France;
  • Spilled oil: about 60,000 tons;
  • Causes: Deficiency in one of the oil tanks that caused the submersion of the vessel;
  • Consequences: contamination of 200 km of coast; death of various birds and fish; disruption of the fishing and tourism sectors.Data: 13 de novembro de 2002;

Combustion of petroleum derivatives

3

Environmental Problems

Environmental Problems

i. CO2 emissions

  • The CO2, when present in the atmosphere, propitiates the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming;
  • Melting of the polar ice caps (causing the loss of habitats, rising sea level, increased probability of cyclones and typhoons).

Environmental impact

ii. Emissions of NOX, SOX and CO

  • In combustion engines:

N(g)+O(g) -> NO (g)

2 NO (g) + O2 (g) -> 2 NO2

  • When the fuels contain sulfur:

S (g) + O2 (g) -> SO2

  • In combustion of hydrocarbons:

C (g) + O2 (g) -> CO2

C (g) + O (g) -> CO

  • Responsible for acid rain;
  • Smog, which can cause eye, skin and lung irritation and changes in the immune system; the protective membranes of the nose and throat become dry: aggravates respiratory diseases.

Measures

Measures

i. Political Protocols

  • Kyoto Protocol;
  • In 2016, the EU has adopted a new directive to reduce air pollution;
  • The Portuguese Environment Agency is the competent entity to monitor the results of emissions by monitoring to the atmosphere.

ii. Alternative enegergies

  • Solar;
  • Hydroelectric;
  • Wing power.

4

Catalytic converters

Types

Types

  • Reduction of the emission of nitrogen oxides

4 NO + 4 NH3 + O2 → 4 N2 + 6 H2O

  • catalysts by oxidation – Redcution of CO and hydrocarbons

a CxHy + b O2 → c CO2 + d H2O

2 CO + O2 → 2 CO2

  • Although useful, the catalytic converters do not represent a completely viable solution for the reduction of harmful gases at industrial level

Webography

5

  • http://www.notapositiva.com/old/pt/trbestbs/quimica/12impacto_ambiental.htm
  • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prestige_oil_spill
  • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfactant
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_the_petroleum_industry#Toxicity
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrochemical
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