ABSTRACT
Petroleum is a major fuel in contemporary society and is widely used in motor cars, cargo ships, planes, and transport vehicles. Petroleum is also a source for a range of chemical products, such as plastics, lubricating oils, and bitumen. Crude and processed petroleum is transported on sea and land in large quantities. Discharges to the oceans are generally of the order of several million tonnes per year, while discharges due to incomplete combustion are generally placed at tens of million tonnes per year (Anon., 1976). A qualitative indication of sources of petroleum to the environment is shown in Table 5.1.
