Heavy Metals and the Petroleum Industr
Abstract
The purpose of this report is to investigate the amounts of heavy metals introduced into the environment by the petroleum industry during exploration and production operations, to examine their environmental impacts, and to compare those impacts to the heavy metals production from natural and other man-made sources. Heavy metals are of concern because they can impact--the health of living organisms that they contact. The petroleum industry contributes only a small fraction of the heavy metals to the environment compared to both natural sources and other industrial sources of heavy metals. The bioavailability of the metals introduced into the environment by the petroleum industry are very low. Recycling and proper waste treatment and disposal are viable options for reducing the environmental impacts from heavy metals. Methods successfully tested in the field include stabilization and solidification, recycling of treated produced water, drilling fluids, drill cuttings and oily sand wastes. The relatively small amounts of metals introduced into the environment by the petroleum industry, the low bioavailability of these metals, and the availability of effective waste treatment methods, translates into a minimal impact from metals on the environment by drilling and production operations. Heavy metals from the production of petroleum, properly handled, are not a threat the environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA259639
Entities
People
- Katherine D. Ware
Organizations
- University of Texas at Austin