Chemical Fingerprinting Methods and Factors Affecting Petroleum Fingerprints in the Environment

Abstract

Accidental oil spills or intentional operational discharges of crude oil and petroleum products and wastes often warrant chemical fingerprinting investigations to (1) establish the source of the oil if unknown, (2) confirm the source of the oil if suspected, and (3) determine the impact of the oil on the environment, both spatially and temporally. These investigations rely upon the chemical complexity and specificity of different crude oils and refined petroleums, which are determined by "primary" and "secondary" prespill factors that correspond to the genesis of crude oil and any subsequent refining, respectively. In addition, the chemical fingerprints of all spilled petroleums are subject to "tertiary" postspill factors that include various weathering processes and mixing with naturally occurring or anthropogenic "background." In this chapter, we review and provide examples of the effects these factors can have on the chemical fingerprints of petroleum in the environment, which must be considered and accounted for before the source or impact of spilled or discharged petroleum can be established.