ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a detailed review of the physical and chemical properties of petroleum hydrocarbons. Once petroleum hydrocarbons are introduced into the environment they interact with the surrounding soils. Specific chemical properties affect the technologies that are used for remediation as well as the methods used for analysis. Because petroleum products are complex mixtures of chemicals, special problems are faced in analyzing for these compounds. A more complete description and application of the pristane/phytane test is found in the paper by Senn and Johnson. Great care must be taken in deciding which analytical methods are used for identifying and quantitating petroleum hydrocarbons present in soils and liquids. The identification and quantitation of petroleum products in soils and ground waters is a complex and difficult task.
