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UNDERSTANDING THE FATE OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS IN THE SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENT
Citation:
Chen*, C T. UNDERSTANDING THE FATE OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS IN THE SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENT. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 69(5):357-361, (1992).
Impact/Purpose:
information
Description:
Sinca a significant number of the two or more million underground storage tank (UST) systems used for petroleum products leak, their cleanup poses a major environmental challenge. Our understnading of the fate of petroleum hydrocarbons in the subsurface environment is critical to successful mitigation. This environmental challenge is a difficult one. Understanding the fate of petroleum products in the subsurface after they are spilled or released from USTs is made difficult by the complexity of the subsurface environment and the diverse composition of petroleum products, because the behavior of each component in the subsurface environment is controlled by its unique physical and chemical properties. Our ability to detect petroleum products and predict their fate is further complicated by our limited knowledge of the mechanisms that control their mobilization, immobilization, and transformation in the subsurface environment. This article reviews our current understnading and then specifies the requirements for research that will improve our ability to detect petroleum hydrocarbons and predict their fate in the subsurface environment.
