Handbook of Oil Spill Science and Technology

Provides a scientific basis for the cleanup and for the assessment of oil spills Oil spills are a form of pollution caused by the release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment. They commonly occur in the ocean and include materials such as crude oil, refined petroleum, or oily refuse. Spills can take months to years to clean up and without human intervention many contacted plant and animal life die. The Handbook of Oil Spill Science and Technology serves both as an authoritative reference for professionals in the field as well as a text book for those entering the field. The book covers the science of oil spills from risk analysis to cleanup and through the effects on the environment. The new approach will be to look only at the science of each aspect of the topic and summarize the newest finding of this topic. This will involve extensive literature review as well as assessment and synthesis. The emphasis will be on scholarly approaches to each topic. Through contributions from leading experts in diverse fields, the Handbook of Oil Spill Science and Technology features: A multi–disciplinary approach covering fields as diverse as biology, microbiology, chemistry, physics, oceanography and toxicology Covers the science of oil spills from risk analysis to cleanup and through the effects on the environment Case studies examining and analyzing spills, such as Tasman Spirit oil spill on the Karachi Coast, and provides lessons to prevent these in the future Topics include the analysis of oil behavior such as evaporation, natural dispersion, and sedimentation. Other topics include the biodegradation and environmental effects of oils spills. Finally since no two spills are alike one needs to learn the lessons of the past. The case studies mentioned above show how some unique spills seem defy the laws of nature. Merv Fingas has 40 years of experience in oil and chemical spill research. He has authored over 850 technical publications and papers including books, manuals and over 500 peer–reviewed papers. He has won over 20 awards for research and papers from the United States Government, Canadian Government and international conferences. Dr.  Fingas has also collaborated on studies with over 25 organizations around the world, coordinated studies for over 30 years through 6 internationally–attended committees and developed co–operative projects with many international groups.