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مجلة النفط والتعاون العربي
161
العدد
- 2017
أربعون
المجلد الثالث و ال
2016
أوابك العلمية لعام
�
ص لبحوث العلمية الفائزة بجائزة
�
عدد خا
34
24
Quantitative Consideration:
Used lubricating oils represent the largest amount of liquid, non-aqueous
hazardous waste in the world
61
. They are slightly biodegradable and their disposal
in the natural environment is dangerous to natural systems
43
.
Therefore, if used oil is disposed into landfills, an activity that some suggest must
be avoided at all costs
60
, it slowly leaches into the land and underground water
resources.
Leakages of used oil, or deliberate dumping, into the sewage system can have
devastating effects by impairing the operations of sewage treatments plants.
Many sources confirm that one litre of oil contaminates one million litre of
water
16
and oil polluted storm water and sewage systems can cause extensive
damage by getting into rivers, lakes or coastal regions. Small amounts of oil on
surface water can put a sheen (very thin layer) on large area which impairs the
fisheries and other living organisims
13
.
Steps to Protection:
One way to protect the environment from used oil handling is to start with
regulations that ensures good housekeeping in used oil generating points, in
collection and transportation of the stuff and in receiving and processing into
fuels or re-refined into new base oils.
All the entities in the chain must be licensed by the right authorities and made
aware of what is required of them to protect the environment and their operators.
They must all keep records of their operations to refer to in case of any
eventuality. Independent audits
60
of these operations is a necessity to keep all
vigilant.
It is important to remember that some used oils can be reclaimed and treated on
site in such a way as to lessen to a large degree their environmental impact by
lessening the activities required to reclaim them. Reference is made here to the
reclamation of transformer, hydraulic and turbine oils
60
as discussed somewhere
else in this report.
Lube Oils Degradation:
oils degrade for the following reasons
23, 67
: