CHARACTERIZATION OF OIL SPILLS BY CAPILLARY COLUMN GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY

Samples were analyzed using a 100-ft Dexsil-300 support coated open tube column in order to obtain maximum resolution yet retain a high upper temperature limit and a flame ionization detector. The high- resolution chromatogram was mathematically treated to give GC patterns characteristics of the oil and were relatively unaffected by moderate weathering. Chromatograms of crude oils, bunker fuels, and oil spills with respective GC patterns are reported. The chromatograms of most of the oil samples were basically similar. All were dominated by the n-paraffins, with as many as 13 resolved, but unidentified, smaller peaks appearing between the n-paraffin peaks of adjacent C numbers. Each oil had the same basic peaks, but their relative size within bands of 1 C number varied significantly with crude source. Cabinda crude oil was artifically weathered and showed the expected loss of light ends, but the GC patterns above c14 were essentially unchanged. This analytical technique identifies oil spills, analyzes samples as liquids or solids with essentially no pretreatment, requires less than 2 hr analysis time, and lends itself to computer assisted data retrieval.

Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00332700
Corporate Authors:
American Chemical Society

1155 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20036
Authors:
- MATSUNAGA, K
- Ishida, T
- Oda, Toshikane
Publication Date: 1976-8

Media Info

Features: References;
Pagination: p. 1421-23
Serial:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Volume: 48
- Issue Number: 9
- Publisher: American Chemical Society
- ISSN: 0033-2700

Subject/Index Terms

TRT Terms: Chemical analysis; Gas chromatography; Identification systems; Oil spill cleanup; Oils
Old TRIS Terms: Oil analysis; Oil spill identification
Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

Accession Number: 00148185
Record Type: Publication
Files: TRIS
Created Date: Feb 16 1977 12:00AM