Discharges from industrial plants and the like into sewers, rivers and the sea

Abstract

So far, this book has discussed the various ways in which oil can be spilled at all stages between the oil well and the final consumption of the product. It will have been seen that the majority of spills are the result of the failure of equipment or of human error. However, as pointed out in the first chapter, neglecting oil from various sources carried by the atmosphere, about one third of the oil entering the sea originates from urban run off, factories, refineries, general industrial run off and untreated domestic sewage, either discharged directly into the sea or from rivers. Most of this can be prevented by installing proper separator equipment and by the exercise of due care at all times. This chapter discusses the types of equipment and treatment systems needed to deal with oily effluents of all kinds including those from complex oil refineries. For many less sophisticated sites, of course, the simpler types of treatment will be adequate.