The Most Common Sources of Oil and Chemical Waste

Oil and chemical wastes are emitted from a variety of sources ranging from individuals to commercial operations and natural disasters. Certain images come to mind when imagining an oil spill, such as the tarred feathers of a duck or the slicked fur of a victim seal. However, both oil and other chemical spills have significant sources that are surprising.

Marine Oil Spills

• Spills that flow directly into the ocean or sea are termed marine oil spills. These spills are most frequently publicized as a threat to both marine and human life, but are only a fraction of total oil waste. Oil tankers that experience damage as well as frequent seepage that occurs via offshore drilling are manmade sources of marine oil spills. Natural marine spills occur when the tectonic plates shift, opening natural reservoirs of oil that seep into the ocean.

Land Oil Spills

• Any method by which oil enters the natural environment is termed an oil spill. The most significant source of oil waste is from land runoff. Over time, the slow leaking of oil through petroleum-based lubricants and fuels used by land engines, like cars, accumulates and travels via ground water to the ocean. Other sources of land oil waste are people who dispose of used oil improperly and storage tanks damaged by hurricanes or other natural disasters.

Industrial Chemical Waste

• The EPA has outlined four separate categories of hazardous chemical waste for regulatory guidelines. The first are wastes from non-specific sources, like spent halogen solvents generated in industrial processes. Second is industrial waste with a specific source, like untreated waste water generated in the production of herbicides. Third are wastes from discarded commercial chemical products. Finally there are toxic wastes like vinyl chloride.

Individual Chemical Waste

• Other common forms of chemical waste happen in the home. These particular wastes are referred to as HHWs or household hazardous wastes. Included in HHWs are paint thinners, used oil, household cleaners, insecticides, varnishes and more. These chemical substances, when not disposed of in the indicated manner, will leak into and contaminate the environment as chemical waste.