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 The abandoned Sunray Refinery I started my field journal in June 2004. My dad and I got permission to walk on the land that bordered the refinery. I wanted to get close to where the refinery waste ran into the creek so that I could get a sample of the water. June 7, 2004: As I walk behind the old Sunray Refinery, I smell petroleum and feel the gooey soil on my shoes. I pick up the soil, and it seeps through my hands as black sludge. The soil has been devastated by years of contamination from petroleum products and caustic chemicals. As I climb down the banks of the creek, I notice that the water smells strongly of petroleum. I fill my containers with the creek water and head home. Using a colormetric test kit, I tested the water for: ammonia nitrogen, pH, chlorine, chromium, copper, cyanide, iron, nitrate nitrogen, phosphorus, silica, and sulfide. The water tested negative for everything except nitrate nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica. These results did not show whether Claridy Creek was contaminated with petroleum. Since the water smelled strongly of petroleum, I needed to test it for hydrocarbons. While searching on the Internet for chemical testing kits, I found a lab in Maine where the chemists answered questions. A senior chemist, Mr. Curlett, wrote me back saying that he would test the water for hydrocarbons. He also answered many of my questions when I e-mailed him. |
 Kyle taking a water sample When I got the samples home, I put the water in six special glass vials that would be sent to Maine. I could not use any plastic because plastic contains hydrocarbons that would contaminate the samples. I sent the vials in a special cooler so that the samples would not get too hot in Oklahoma, or too cold in Maine. I also conducted my own tests on the water. My results showed that the water behind and upstream from the refinery was high in nitrates and phosphates. When testing the water, Mr. Curlett extracted and analyzed the semi-volatile portion, the portion that would be diesel and motor oil, using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectometry. The results were not what I expected. The creek water I sent to Maine did not have detectable amounts of hydrocarbons in it. But why did the creek water smell like petroleum? Next, I tested the oxygen levels behind the refinery, and upstream and downstream from it. The oxygen levels at each site were high. The smell was not from anaerobic decomposition. Going back to the sites, I tested the creek water with lead acetate paper strips, and the results were negative. The smell was not from hydrogen sulfide. After compiling my data, I concluded that the smell in Claridy Creek behind the refinery is coming from undetectable traces of hydrocarbons. Since the late 1990's steps have been taken to stop the leakage of hydrocarbons and hazardous substances into Claridy Creek. While my tests were negative, I still believe I can smell the petroleum even though it cannot be detected by the tests I performed. I continued to investigate Claridy Creek. |
        
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