By Valery and Annanya
Introduction
According to WWF, petroleum literally means ‘rock oil’. Also known as crude oil, it is a liquid with yellowish-black in color found in the upper strata of Earth’s crust. Petroleum, which contains a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, plays a crucial role in human lives these days.
Deeper understanding
Petroleum is a fossil fuel just like coal and natural gas. As ancient marine organisms (plants, algae, bacteria) die, their bodies settle at the bottom of the sea and get covered with layers of sand and clay. The absence of air, high temperatures, and high pressure transformed the dead organisms into petroleum and natural gas over millions of years.
This Petroleum, found beneath land or ocean floors is then extracted with giant drilling machines. The process of extracting, transporting, refining petroleum releases not only greenhouse gases but also other pollutants into the atmosphere.
The majority of our world's energy comes from petroleum. The world would look very different without it, and many of our products would not exist.
Effects of petroleum on the environment:
Toxicity towards wild and marine life:
Oil spills are very harmful to animals. Oil forms its own layer on top of the water, preventing sunlight from entering the oceanic environments, potentially affecting the food chain.
Petroleum removes the insulating properties of animal fur and bird feathers.
This could not only cause the animal to suffer from hypothermia but could also hinder its ability to fly and/or swim. This could potentially result in the animal suffocating to death by drowning in the oil. Animals that digest petrol-affected prey may also be affected. This will eventually disrupt the food chain.
Animals living on the land are not the only ones harmed; critters dwelling beneath the seas are also affected. Adolescent sea turtles frequently mistake the oil for food, which leads to them getting stuck. A large number of animals (including birds and
mammals) would unknowingly consume oil while trying to clean themselves, putting them at risk of poisoning. When marine life, such as fish and corals, come into contact, it might result in health issues such as an enlarged liver, fin erosion, growth reduction, and much more
2. Toxicity towards humans:
Apart from affecting marine life, humans could easily be affected by petroleum. If petroleum is not managed properly, risks of severe health problems could increase.
Breathing petroleum vapors could lead to respiratory diseases which include: headache, nausea, etc.
When the skin comes in contact with liquid petroleum products, skin irritation may be caused.
Chronic exposure to petroleum may affect humans’ kidneys, liver, and nervous systems.
Very high exposure could even lead to death.
There is evidence that workers in the petroleum industry have an increased risk of skin cancer and leukemia.
Uses of petroleum
Transportation fuels
heating and electricity
generation fuel oils, asphalt and road oil,
plastics and most synthetic materials are all petroleum products
Cleaner Alternatives
Due to all these harmful effects, there are better choices rather than petroleum. In exchange for petroleum, we could use renewable energy.
Renewable energy is energy from sources that will never be finished and are always replenished. Examples of renewable energy that could be used are geothermal energy, solar energy, biomass, etc.
While petroleum and renewable energy can generate the same amount of energy per use, renewable energy can produce fewer emissions. Why not use them instead of petroleum?
Will we ever be able to stop relying on fossil fuels?
There is a great deal of environmental damage caused by fossil fuels. The burning of these fuels releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which are partly responsible for global warming.
The reason we continue to use fossil fuels is that they are less expensive and easier to store. In contrast to natural gas and coal, sunlight and air cannot be stored. The current state of knowledge and technology does not allow us to completely rely on renewable energy.
However, we are still developing technology to make clean energy viable for the global economy. Slowly but surely, we'll build a world that's more environmentally stable for future generations.
Fun facts about petroleum
Petroleum is known as "black gold" because crude oil is black when extracted from the ground. Because it is quite expensive, it is referred to as gold. It is extremely difficult to locate.
The word petroleum comes from Medieval Latin petroleum (literally 'rock oil')
Petroleum is formed from the fossils of plants and animals that pre-date the dinosaurs.
Sources
Response Restoration (2012). The Toxicity of Oil: What’s the Big Deal?Available at: https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/toxicity-oil-whats-big-deal.html [accessed 17 February 2022]
Sciencing (2019). How Does an Oil Spill Affect The Environment? Available at: https://sciencing.com/oil-spill-affect-environment-4616883.html [accessed 17 February 2022]
Ocean Service (2022). How does oil impact marine life? Available at: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oilimpacts.html [accessed 17 February 2022]
“Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - US Energy Information Administration.” EIA Available at: https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=41&t=6. [accessed 17 February 2022]
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