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Marine oil spills and soils contaminated by hydrocarbons
Environmental Stakes and Treatment of Pollutions
This book describes the specificities inherent to these two problems : accidental spillage of petroleum or petroleum products at sea and pollution of soils and groundwater by hydrocarbons.
The author shows that, considering the technical and financial constraints generally encountered, the strategic responses brought in both cases are in fact based on the same approach involving assessment of the risks for human health and activity and for the ecosystems : this leads to the concept of net financial and environmental benefit which justifies, in some cases, the option which consists in allowing natural attenuation to take its course.
Understanding the impact of marine oil spills and of soil and groundwater pollution relies on theoretical and experimental knowledge of the various processes governing the physical, chemical and biological evolution of hydrocarbon pollutants in the media concerned (called « ecodynamics » in this book), taking into account the chemical diversity of the hydrocarbons and their properties.
Numerical models, which are risk assessment tools, are discussed in a practical way on the basis of numerous simulation results in order to demonstrate their operation and limits. Hydrocarbon pollutant analysis and detection methods are described in concrete terms which specify their field of application. Finally, the techniques used for pollution treatment and remediation of contaminated media are described with numerous results, with the emphasis on the operational and strategie aspects.
This book is intended for engineers and technicians who wish to increase their knowledge of various aspects of the problems discussed, decision-makers who require a better understanding of the environmental and economic stakes, as well as students and less well-informed readers who will find both general and detailed information.
