Levels of contaminants in used motor oil and their potential effect on the environment

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NOVEMBER, 2015
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Abstract
Motor oil used by internal combustion engines requires replacement over a period due to contamination that affects its lubricating functions. The used motor oil finally ends up in the environment, whose physicochemical compositions are unknown to determine the impact. This thesis contains information concerning the environmental impact associated with used motor oil. Some of the various ways by which it enters the environment were reviewed. The physicochemical properties (heavy metals, volatile aromatic hydrocarbons, total petroleum hydrocarbons, H2S, density, specific gravity, water content, viscosity, pour point, flash point, soot content, and colour), determined by collecting ten used motor oil samples each from private and commercial vehicles and two samples of fresh motor oil for petrol and diesel engines using the American Standard for Testing Measurement (ASTM) are as described. The results showed that the used oils recorded high levels of contaminants above the EPA maximum permissible limit for waste oils. Again the commercial vehicles recorded high levels of contaminants in the used oils than the private vehicles. It can be concluded that motor oils have significant amount of harmful substances and metals, and therefore must be treated to reduce these contaminants levels before they are reused or final disposal into the environment.
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements Master of Science degree in Environmental Science.
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