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Originally posted by Truth1000
I imagine that it must be only when a huge oil spill would be reported.
Originally posted by Doc Velocity
Originally posted by Truth1000
I imagine that it must be only when a huge oil spill would be reported.
Crude oil naturally disperses in seawater, given enough time. Crude oil is organic, and it does get eaten up by various microbes (and fish, and people). Which is why the many decades of oil leakage is no big concern.
The only time we hear of crude oil slick warnings is when a big slick is quickly carried in to shore by wind and currents before it has time to naturally disperse. So you'll hear about 20 mile slicks and 40 mile crude slicks coming ashore on the Gulf Coast, which is more of a nuisance to tourism than it is an ecological threat.
It's when we refine crude oil and distill it that it becomes a toxic menace. The real threat is when a tanker loses a few thousand barrels of kerosene or something like that, a synthesized petroleum product — this has happened many times in the Gulf, as well, without causing an ecological disaster.
— Doc Velocity
The petroleum industry often characterizes crude oils according to their geographical source, e.g., Alaska North Slope Crude. Oils from different geographical areas have unique properties; they can vary in consistency from a light volatile fluid to a semi-solid. Classification of crude oil types by geographical source is generally not a useful classification scheme for response personnel because they offer little information about general toxicity, physical state, and changes that occur with time and weathering. These characteristics are primary considerations in oil spill response. The classification scheme provided below is more useful in a response scenario.
Class A: Light, Volatile Oils. These oils are highly fluid, often clear, spread rapidly on solid or water surfaces, have a strong odor, a high evaporation rate, and are usually flammable. They penetrate porous surfaces such as dirt and sand, and may be persistent in such a matrix. They do not tend to adhere to surfaces; flushing with water generally removes them. Class A oils may be highly toxic to humans, fish, and other biota. Most refined products and many of the highest quality light crudes can be included in this class.
Class B: Non-Sticky Oils. These oils have a waxy or oily feel. Class B oils are less toxic and adhere more firmly to surfaces than Class A oils, although they can be removed from surfaces by vigorous flushing. As temperatures rise, their tendency to penetrate porous substrates increases and they can be persistent. Evaporation of volatiles may lead to a Class C or D residue. Medium to heavy paraffin-based oils fall into this class.
Class C: Heavy, Sticky Oils. Class C oils are characteristically viscous, sticky or tarry, and brown or black. Flushing with water will not readily remove this material from surfaces, but the oil does not readily penetrate porous surfaces. The density of Class C oils may be near that of water and they often sink. Weathering or evaporation of volatiles may produce solid or tarry Class D oil. Toxicity is low, but wildlife can be smothered or drowned when contaminated. This class includes residual fuel oils and medium to heavy crudes.
Class D: Nonfluid Oils. Class D oils are relatively non-toxic, do not penetrate porous substrates, and are usually black or dark brown in color. When heated, Class D oils may melt and coat surfaces making cleanup very difficult. Residual oils, heavy crude oils, some high paraffin oils, and some weathered oils fall into this class.
These classifications are dynamic for spilled oils; weather conditions and water temperature greatly influence the behavior of oil and refined petroleum products in the environment. For example, as volatiles evaporate from a Class B oil, it may become a Class C oil. If a significant temperature drop occurs (e.g., at night), a Class C oil may solidify and resemble a Class D oil. Upon warming, the Class D oil may revert back to a Class C oil.
Originally posted by discl0sur3
Respectfully....Are you kidding me?
A quarter of a million gallons of crude is being pumped into the Gulf right now. Don't even try to discount the severity of this issue...the results are going to be catastrophic.
Originally posted by discl0sur3
Good luck trying to convince the masses that this bull# that you're spouting is fact. It's like trying to compare a firecracker to a hydrogen bomb.
Originally posted by indigothefish
i suppose this might help on the 'toxicity' of crude oil...
Originally posted by Doc Velocity
Originally posted by discl0sur3
Respectfully....Are you kidding me?
A quarter of a million gallons of crude is being pumped into the Gulf right now. Don't even try to discount the severity of this issue...the results are going to be catastrophic.
Respectfully, you don't know how much crude oil is being "pumped into" the Gulf. All you know is the triple-distilled propaganda coming to you via the mainstream media.
Originally posted by Animal
I think, more than anything, you have merely provided one more nail in the coffin of 'drill baby drill'. The contamination you have shown to be an everyday occurrence, if common knowledge would put a big dent in the support for off-shore drilling.
Originally posted by indigothefish
we may not know the exact amount, but we have seen the space images, is that not alarming enough?