Page 118 - Environmental Control in Petroleum Engineering

The Impact of Drilling and Production Operations 105

exposures, tremors and spasms of the fingers, eyelids, lips, and even
the whole body can occur. In severe cases, delirium and hallucinations
may occur. Mercury exposure can damage the nervous system, kid-
neys, and liver. There is no evidence of mercury being carcinogenic
in humans. Organometallic derivatives may be concentrated in lipid
tissues and cause chromosome damage. Subtoxic effects have been
observed in microflora at 0.1 ppm. Detrimental effects have been
observed in aquatic ecosystems at 0.005 ppm.

Nickel: Exposure to nickel can cause a sensitization of the skin and
allergic reactions in the respiratory tract. It has been associated with
nasal and lung cancer, but carcinogenicity from ingestion has not been
proven. The carcinogenicity of nickel compounds appears to depend
on the solubility of the compounds. Organometallic derivatives may
be concentrated in lipid tissues and cause chromosome damage,

Vanadium: Exposure from inhalation affects the eyes and respiratory
system. At high exposure levels, damage to the lungs, liver, kidneys,
and heart have been observed. No evidence of carcinogenicity has
been observed,

Zinc: Inhalation of zinc oxide causes an influenza-like illness. Moder-
ate exposures have little adverse effects on the lungs. No evidence has
been obtained suggesting that zinc compounds are carcinogenic. Zinc
is an essential element in the human metabolism and is required in
low concentrations. It is toxic to plants above 400 ppm and lethal to
fish and other aquatic animals at 1.0 ppm.

3.5 PRODUCTION CHEMICALS

The various chemicals used during production have a widely vary-
ing potential for environmental impact, depending on the chemical and
its concentration.
The environmental impact of acids varies somewhat with acid
type. AH acids can be corrosive to eyes and skin. Hydrofluoric acid
can be lethal if sufficient quantities are absorbed through the skin,
inhaled, or ingested. Effects from chronic exposure to hydrofluoric acid
include fluorosis (fluoride poisoning) and kidney or liver damage.
Chronic exposure to hydrochloric acid can cause irritation to mucous