- 學位論文
Potential Applications for Underground Storage Tank System(USTs) Environmental Management and Petroleum Pollution Control for The Gambia
Potential Applications for Underground Storage Tank System(USTs) Environmental Management and Petroleum Pollution Control for The Gambia
並列摘要
Underground storage of liquid petroleum products, such as motor fuel and gasoline presents a potential threat to public health and the environment. Preventing tank spills and leaks is especially important because gasoline, diesel and fuel oil can move rapidly through surface layers and into ground water. Also, vapors from an underground leak that collect in basements, sumps or other underground structures have the potential to explode. A few quarts of gasoline in the ground water may be enough to severely pollute drinking water. At low levels of contamination, fuel contaminants in water cannot be detected by smell or taste, yet seemingly pure water may be contaminated to the point of affecting human health. Petroleum fuels contain a number of toxic compounds, including solvents such as benzene, toluene and xylene, as well as additives such as ethylene dibromide (EDB) and organic lead compounds. EDB is a carcinogen, a cancer-causing agent, in laboratory animals, and benzene is considered a human carcinogen. The study focuses on strategies to adopt that would enable the detection of leakages from USTs. Monitoring of storage tanks by taking soil gas measurements from monitoring wells is seen as a good method of detecting leakages from UST’s. Several portable instruments were used to conduct the USTs monitoring. Combustible gas indicator was used to monitor VOC’s. Interface meter was used for the detection of free products in ground water. Soil gas samples were collected from monitoring wells with high readings and taken to the lab for analysis. Meeting with professionals in the field of petroleum pollution prevention and remediation was done to know both regulatory and administrative approach to the management of contamination on the event that it occurs. Using a dip stick to measure the inventory of an UST, which doesn’t require expertise and less costly can be used to detect leakage. Remediation of contaminated sites should be done to a level that doesn’t affect human health. In so doing a cost effective, less time consuming and easy to carry out clean up technology should be selected. To achieve the objective of protecting the environment, comprehensive measures should be initiated within a legal framework implemented through a time schedule to reach targets.