Volatile organics emissions were characterized when petroleum refinery oily sludges were incorporated in soils under controlled laboratory conditions. The sludges tested included three of the five listed hazardous wastes for the refining industry: dissolved air flotation float, slop oil emulsion solids, and API separator sludge. The volatile components of the sludges were first identified. Then the effects of the following operating conditions on volatile emissions were studied: air temperature and humidity, wind speed, soil type, temperature and moisture, sludge loading and volatility, and method of waste application. The volatile components identified in the sludge were also present in the emissions from the soil-waste mixtures. The quantity of emissions were most affected by the sludge volatility, sludge loading, application method, and atmospheric humidity, and the cumulative emissions at a given period of time could be correlated with these operational variables. The emission rate or level was not significantly affected by soil type or soil moisture. An expression for estimating the rate of emissions as a function of elapsed time after application could not be developed from the data. While every effort was made to simulate actual land treatment conditions, it is not possible to directly apply these laboratory findings to predict full-scale results.

"June 1984." "Cooperative Agreement No. CR807629." "PB84-209766." "Reproduced by National Technical Information Service."