Using Trace Elements to Detect Oil Refinery Pollution on Curacao
Open Access
- Author:
- Fitz, Coriana Hope
- Area of Honors:
- Geosciences
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Timothy Stapler White, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Maureen Feineman, Thesis Honors Advisor
Lee Kump, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Oil Refinery
Curacao
Trace Elements
Soil Samples
Mud Cores - Abstract:
- The Isla Oil Refinery on the island country of Curaçao has been operating almost 100 years with no technical or mechanical updates. Its stacks belch post combustion gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere, and some of the residents of the capitol city, Willemstad, complain of the stench of sulfur. There has been some discussion on whether to update the refinery, continue as-is, or tear it down. Quantifying the pollution that the refinery causes would make the decision easier. In this project, soil, mud core, tree core, and sediment samples were gathered throughout Curaçao and prepared for analysis. Due to time and financial constraints, the tree cores were not analyzed. The other samples were analyzed for trace metal content with emphasis on Vanadium and Nickel. The results of the silt and sediment samples were inconclusive due to the majority of the samples consisting of Calcium Carbonate. The metals in the soil samples showed an increase over time when compared to another soil study accomplished in the early 1990s. The concentration of metals was also greater in the southern portion of the island around the refinery than elsewhere. The mud cores did not show a clear trend in trace metals throughout the depth of the core. This indicates that the input of these elements did not change significantly over the course of approximately 100 years. Because the number and types of samples analyzed was not as many as desired, it is difficult to come to an overall conclusion. Analysis of a greater amount and variety of samples would be the next step in increasing the accuracy of the study.