Environmental Forensics: Chemical Fingerprinting of Fuels

1.1.1. Petroleum fuels It is estimated that between 1.7 and 8.8 million tons of petroleum hydrocarbons are released into the marine environment each year, with a best estimate of 3.2 million tons per year. Although major oil spills, like the Exxon-Valdez spill of 1989 or last summer’s Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, garner much media and citizen attention, you may be surprised to learn that tanker accidents only account for ~13% of the total petroleum hydrocarbon mass released to the environment. The remaining 87% is primarily released through smaller, less noticeable “spills”, such as washing of tanks and changing of tanker ballast water. The source of these less publicized spills can be difficult to discern. Additionally, approximately 0.3 million tons of petroleum makes its way into marine systems entirely via natural processes, such as natural seeps.