TITLE:
A Forensic Approach for Assessing Modes of Subsurface Petroleum Releases
AUTHORS:
John A. Anton, Gil Oudijk
KEYWORDS:
Age Dating, Biomarkers, Catastrophic and Chronic Environmental Discharges, Compound-Specific Stable-Isotope Ratios
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.7 No.3,
February
26,
2016
ABSTRACT: Chronic
petroleum discharges resulting from underground storage tank (UST) system
failures may continue for months or years, whereas catastrophic releases result
from structural failures or overfills that occur over shorter time periods. A
forensic analytical framework is useful for distinguishing between chronic and
catastrophic releases and identifying responsible parties. However, the
forensic program must account for the petroleum type because identifying
release modes relies on understanding the chemical evolution of petroleum
through time within the context of site conditions. Here we discuss key
petroleum components that aid in reconstructing the release and identifying
potential responsible parties when subsurface conditions are known.