Fossil fuels, petroleum-derived

Self-generated surfactants (produced from fossil fuels by a chem-ical/physical process) or natural surfactants (exiting in fossil fuels) are derived from the inherent organic acids and replaceable acidic protons which are present in crude oils or bitumens (e.g., mercaptans). Yen and Farmanian (2) isolated native petroleum fractions that form surfactants and contain hydrogen dispiacable components including one, two, three, or four of die following types ... 

Use renewable feedstocks Use raw materials and feedstocks that are renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically feasible. Renewable feedstocks are often synthesized from agricultural products or are the wastes of other processes depleting feedstocks are derived from fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, or coal) or are mined. 

A more spectacular example is the possible conversion of fossil fuel (oil) derivatives to edible carbohydrates. This transformation needs an industrial breakdown of petroleum products to glyceraldehyde. Then glyceraldelyde can be enzymatically converted to fructose, glucose, and starch. 

Triglyceride oils have declined since the 1980s and have been replaced by petroleum-derived products. However, as fossil fuels deplete the supply of petrochemicals, triglyceride-based oils are available as a renewable resource. 

Most of the plastics and synthetic polymers that are used worldwide are produced from petrochemicals. Replacing petroleum-based feedstocks with materials derived from renewable resources is an attractive prospect for manufacturers of polymers and plastics, since the production of such polymers does not depend on the limited supply of fossil fuels [16]. Furthermore, synthetic materials are very persistent in the environment long after their intended use, and as a result their total volume in landfills is giving rise to serious waste management problems. In 1992,20% of the volume and 8% of the weight of landfills in the US were plastic materials, while the annual disposal of plastics both in the US and EC has risen to over 10 million tons [17]. Because of the biodegradability of PHAs, they would be mostly composted and as such would be very valuable in reducing the amount of plastic waste. 

Petroleum products have a vast array of uses. In approximate order of importance the uses are as fuels for vehicles and industry, as heating oils, as lubricants, as raw materials in manufacturing petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, and as solvents. By a wide margin, most products derived from petroleum find use as fossil fuels to run vehicles, to produce electricity, and to heat homes and business. About 65% of the petroleum used as fuel is consumed as gasoline in automobiles. Thus, petroleum products are ubiquitous in the modem environment, which leads to contamination problems for both the environment and in sampling activities. 

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