Mercury contamination in the oil and gas industry
- Ecology Environment, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Mercury contamination of surficial soils and building structures is concern to the oil, natural gas, and utility industries. Spillage from mercury-filled manometers that measure pipeline pressures is a major source of mercury contamination. Because of its chemical characteristics, the mobility of mercury within the soil posed significant health and environmental impacts. Inorganic mercury strongly adsorbs onto fine soil particles and organic matter, readily volatilizes into the atmospheres, and is leachable into aqueous systems. Under acidic conditions or with microbial action, elemental mercury and mercury oxides may transform into the water-soluble organic form, methyl mercury. Soil pH and Cl concentration are key elements to speciation and chemical transformation. Adsorption is pH dependent and proportional to the cation exchange capacity. Adsorption appears to be the dominant process in mercury soil retention. Methyl mercury readily bioconcentrates in fish and shellfish, posing a threat to the food chain and human health. Mercury vapors emanating from contaminated soils or building materials also can pose worker health problems. Chemical reactions of elemental, inorganic and organic mercury with different soil types limits the remedial alternatives currently available. Three general types of response actions exists for the remediation of mercury-containing sites: (1) source removal and ex-situ treatment, (2) application of in-situ corrective measures and, (3) no action. Treatment alternatives include retorting/roasting, acid leaching, extraction with complexing agents, soil washing/ion exchange, gravitational separation, electroreclamation, and immobilization/stabilization. Of these, only retorting/roasting and acid leaching are considered the best demonstrated available technology.
- OSTI ID:
- 6690079
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-930947-; CODEN: AABUD2
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 77:8; Conference: Rocky Mountain section meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Salt Lake City, UT (United States), 12-15 Sep 1993; ISSN 0149-1423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
MERCURY
REMOVAL
SOILS
DECONTAMINATION
LEACHING
NATURAL GAS
PETROLEUM
PRESSURE GAGES
RETORTING
ROASTING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLEANING
DECOMPOSITION
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
OXIDATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
540220 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)