Oil Spill Dispersant Effectiveness Protocol. I: Impact of Operational Variables
This article has a reply.
VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 130, Issue 10
Abstract
The current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency protocol for testing the effectiveness of dispersants, the swirling flask test, has been found to give widely varying results in the hands of different testing laboratories. The sources of the ambiguities in the test were determined by considering several options in a rigorous systematic fashion. Options considered were variability among three operators and the variability and limitations of three analytical instruments in establishing a calibration curve for oil/dispersant mixtures. Other options included flask type, impact of operational variables (rotational speed, mixing time, settling time, and oil:dispersant ratio), development of a revised procedure for dispersant effectiveness, reproducibility and repeatability of the revised procedure, and development of selection criteria for screening of dispersants. A redesign of the test flask, which is characterized by having baffles with a stopcock at the bottom for sample collection, was deemed necessary to accomplish reproducibility within operator and between operators. The results indicated that the baffled flask provided a total coefficient of variation (variations within operator and between operators) less than 11% compared to above 100% in some cases for the swirling flask.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). (2002). “F2059-00 standard test method for laboratory oil spill dispersant effectiveness using the swirling flask.” ASTM 11.04, West Conshohocken, Pa., 1536–1539.
2.
Bardot, C., Bocard, C., Castaing, G., and Gatellier, C. ( 1984). “The importance of a dilution process to evaluate effectiveness toxicity of chemical dispersant” Proc., 7th Annual Arctic Marine Oil Spill Program Technol Seminar, Environmental Protection Service, Environment Canada, Ottawa, 179–201.
4.
Blondina, G.J., Sowby, M.L., Ouano, M.T., Singer, M.M., and Tjeerdema, R.S. ( 1997a). “Comparative efficacy of two corexit dispersants as measured using California’s modified swirling flask tests.” Proc., 20th Arctic and Marine Oil Spill Program Technical Seminar, Environment Canada, Ottawa, 561–573.
3.
Blondina, G.J., Sowby, M.L., Ouano, M.T., Singer, M.M., and Tjeerdema, R.S. ( 1997b). “A modified swirling flask efficacy test for oil spill dispersants.” Spill Science and Technology Bulletin No. 4, 177–185.
5.
Clayton, J.R., Payne, J.R., Farlow, J.S., and Sarwar, C. ( 1993). Oil spill dispersants mechanisms of action and laboratory tests, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.
6.
Clayton, J.R., Tsang, S., Frank, V., Marsden, P., and Harrington, J. ( 1992). “Chemical dispersant agents—Evaluation of three laboratory procedures for estimating performance.” Final Rep. on EPA Contract No. 68-C8-0062, Work Assignment No. 2/3-38, U.S. EPA, Edison, N.J.
7.
Desmarquest, J.P., Croquette, J., Merlin, F., Bocard, C., Castaing, G., and Gatellier, C. ( 1985). “Recent advances in dispersant effectiveness evaluation: Experimental and field aspects.” Proc., 1985 Oil Spill Conf., Los Angeles, American Petroleum Institute, Washington, D.C., 445–452.
8.
Fingas, M.F., Dufort, V.M., Hughes, K.A., Bobra, M.A., and Duggan, L.V. ( 1989a). “Laboratory studies on oil spill dispersants.” Oil Spill Dispersants: New Ecological Approaches, ASTM STP1018, L. M. Flaherty, ed., American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 207–219.
9.
Fingas, M.F., Huang, E., Fieldhouse, B., Wang, L., and Mullin, J.V. ( 1997). “The effect of energy, settling time and shaking time on the swirling flask dispersant apparatus.” Proc., 20th Arctic Marine Oilspill Program Technical Seminar, Environment Canada, Ottawa, 541–550.
10.
Fingas, M.F., Hughes, K.A., and Schweitzer, M.A. ( 1987). “Dispersant testing at the environmental emergencies technology division.” Proc., 10th Arctic Marine Oilspill Program Technical Seminar, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Conservation and Protection, Environment Canada, Ottawa, 343–356.
11.
Fingas, M.F., Kyle, D.A., Holmes, J.B., and Tennyson, E.J. ( 1993a). “The effectiveness of dispersants: Variation with energy.” Proc., 1993 Oil Spill Conf., American Petroleum Institute, Washington, D.C., 567–572.
12.
Fingas, M.F., Kyle, D.A., and Tennyson, E.J. ( 1993b). “Physical chemical studies on dispersants: The effect of dispersant amount and energy.” Proc., 11th Arctic and Marine Oil Spill Program Technical Seminar, Environment Canada, Ottawa, 861–876.
13.
Fingas, M.F., Munn, D.L., White, B., Stoodley, R.G., and Crerar, I.D. ( 1989b). “Laboratory testing of dispersant effectiveness: The importance of oil-to-water ratio and settling time.” Proc., 1989 Oil Spill Conf., San Antonio, American Petroleum Institute, Washington, D.C., 365–373.
14.
Fisher, R.A., and Yates, F. ( 1974). Statistical tables for biological, agricultural and medical research, 5th Ed., Longman, London.
15.
IT Corporation. (1995). “Investigation of reported problems with swirling flask dispersant effectiveness test—Final report.” Contract No. 68-C2-0108, Work Assignment No. 3-53, JTN 816453 3-53, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Edison, N.J.
16.
Rewick, R.T., Sabo, K.A., Gates, J., Smith, J.H., and McCarthy, L.T., Jr. ( 1981). “An evaluation of oil spill dispersant testing requirements.” Proc., Oil Spill Conf., Atlanta, American Petroleum Institute, Washington, D.C., 5–10.
17.
Rewick, R.T., Sabo, K.A., and Smith, J.H. ( 1984). “The drop-weight interfacial tension method for predicting dispersant performance.” Oil Spill Chemical Dispersants, Research Experience and Recommendations, ASTM STP 840,T. E. Allen ed., American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 94–107.
18.
Ruud, P.A. ( 2000). Introduction to classical econometric theory, Oxford University Press, New York.
19.
Sorial, G. A., Venosa, A. D., Koran, K. M., Holder, E., and King, D. W. (2004). “Oil spill dispersant effectiveness protocol. II: Performance of revised protocol.” J. Environ. Eng.,130(10), 1085–1093.
20.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). (1984) “National oil and hazardous substances pollution contingency plan: Final rule.” 40 CFR Part 300, Federal Rep. Register, Vol. 49, Naragansett, R.I., 29192–29207.
21.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). (1996). “Swirling flask dispersant effectiveness test.” Title 40 code of federal regulations, Pt. 300, Appendix C, Naragansett, R.I., 245–250.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 130 • Issue 10 • October 2004
Pages: 1073 - 1084
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 ASCE.
History
Published online: Oct 1, 2004
Published in print: Oct 2004
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.