US EPA

2641275 

Journal Article 

CRUDE OIL WASTES RECYCLING, THE ECONOMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES. A CASE STUDY 

Seiti, B; Topi, D; Malollari, I; Xhaxhiu, K; Drushku, S; Shehu, F 

2013 

No 

Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology
ISSN: 1311-5065 

14 

1 

99-106 

WOS:000317437400012 

Albanian oil industry actually in low capacity operation is widespread in the country territory. The environmental pollution in these areas due to this activity has a great impact on the ecosystem as well as on the local communities inhabitants health. Crude oil contribution is considerable to the domestic economy. Its importance was properly evaluated from the ex-socialist system which organised all technological stages: extraction, processing, transporting and marketing according to the national standard STASH 51-86. Abandonment and non-evading of the crude oil wastes for a long period of time by the state company, and their direct exposure to the atmospheric agents, are strongly influencing the quality of surrounding ecosystem. In that aspect, an alternative is evading of crude oil wastes and their transporting to a recycling plant. A direct positive outcome is the cleansing of dozens of ha of the arable land, used for many years as 'artificial surface reservoir of the crude oil wastes'. The oxidised solid waste by-products resulting from this process can be used as asbestos in construction of side roads. On the other hand, the polluted soils produced from the technological process could be deposited to the quarry/old mines or landfills. 

crude oil; recycling plant; crude oil waste; environmental pollution; economical outcomes