OIL POLLUTION IN THE SEA: PROBLEMS FOR FUTURE WORK

It is estimated that about one million tons of nonvolatile petroleum products are dumped into the ocean every year. Typically, these products congeal into slowly hardening lumps which are only gradually oxidized (over periods of months), and which can therefore drift for long distances. Technical problems associated with the enforcement of pollution control laws are discussed, and possible means are given for solving these problems, and for providing defenses against pollution. Data requirements for further studies are specified. Enforcement of preventive legislation would be facilitated if it were possible to identify unequivocally the source of the pollutant. A scheme for doing this, involving the use of minute quantities (0.00001 mole per ton of cargo) of tritiated hydrocarbon additives, is discussed. Potential health hazards, cost and instrumentation considerations, and other aspects of the use of such additives are surveyed. It is concluded that the technique poses no foreseeable health hazard, that it is economically feasible, and that the investment required for identification instrumentation is nominal. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute for Defense Analyses

  Jason Division
  Arlington, VA  United States 
• Authors:
  • Zachariasen, Fredrik
• Publication Date: 1968-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 32 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution sources; Hazards; Identification systems; Oil spills; Pollution; Pollution control
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00015256
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Defense Documentation Center
• Report/Paper Numbers: RP-P-432
• Contract Numbers: DAHC15-67-C-0011
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 13 1973 12:00AM