OIL WELL FIRES

File: 950825_53184039_92r.txt
Page: 92r
Total Pages: 1

Filename:53184039.92r
SUBJECT: OIL WELL FIRES

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 IBRAHIM A.H. ALAM, MANAGER ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
PROGRAM WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION RESEARCH
INSTITUTE KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS,
(KFUPM/RI) DHAHRAN, PRESENTED A PAPER ON SAUDI EFFORTS TO MONITOR
AIR POLLUTION RESULTING FROM BURNING KUWAITI OIL FIELDS.
HE OUTLINED THE GULF REGIONAL AIR MONITORING PROGRAM (GRAMP), THE
WORLD METEROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (WMO) EXPERTS MEETING AND THE
CURRENT STATUS IN TERMS OF SURFACE AND AIRCRAFT MONITORING AS WELL
AS MODELING. USING MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAMS, KFUPM/RI HAS
BEEN PRODUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDIES OF THESE FIRES SINCE
LATE FEBRUARY. KFUPM/RI TABULATED POLLUTION COMPOSITION AND
DISTRIBUTION USING SATELLITES AND OTHER SENSORS. KFUPM/RI USED US
EPA EMISSION FACTORS FOR CRUDE OIL AND ASSOCIATED GASES TO HELP
ASSESS TOTAL EMISSIONS OF SO2, NO2, CO AND PARTICULATES. METALS
MEASURED IN THIS STUDY WERE ARSENIC, CADMIUM, COBALT, BARIUM,
CHROMIUM, COPPER, MANGANESE, LEAD, AND TITANIUM. ORGANIC ANALYSIS
WAS CONDUCTED MAINLY FOR ALIPHIC HYDROCARBONS AND POLYNUCLEAR
AROMATIC COMPOUNDS.
2. (U) KFUPM/RI INITIALLY CONCLUDED THAT: (A) SAMPLES COLLECTED
FROM NUAYRIYAH, A SAUDI CITY BORDERING KUWAIT, CONTAINED 
RELATIVELY
HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF MOST OF THE METALS. (B) BARIUM, ZINC, LEAD,
AND COPPER WERE FOUND HIGH IN DHAHRAN SAMPLES. (C) THE ANALYSIS
SHOWED THAT ALL OF THE AIR PARTICULATE FILTERS WERE CONTAMINATED
WITH THE ALIPHATIC AND POLYNUCLEAR HYDROCARBONS. ANALYSIS CARRIED
OUT PREVIOUSLY ON PARTICULATE SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM THE SAME
LOCATIONS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY LOW CONCENTRATION OF POLYCYCIE
AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS COMPOUNDS.
3. (U) KFUPM/RI CONCLUDED THAT LONG TERM IMPACTS OF POLLUTANTS ON
HUMAN HEALTH NEEDS TO BE QUANTIFIED AND AN ACTION PLAN WITH THE
FOLLOWING TASKS IS BEING DEVELOPED: INITIATION OF HEALTH ALERT
SYSTEM; ADVICE TO PHYSICIANS REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
CONCERNS; COLLECTION OF MORTALITY DATA; AND LONG-TERM IMPACT
STUDIES.//
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