Organic emissions from shale oil wastewaters and their implications for air quality

The emission of organic compounds from shale oil wastewaters used to cool hot, retorted, spent oil shale and for codisposal with retorted shale was investigated. Major classes of compounds emitted are aromatic nitrogen-containing compounds, ketones, phenols, and nitriles. Air samples collected in regions likely to be affected by atmospheric emissions from the shale oil industry had no detectable levels of the major organic species that are emitted from the shale oil wastewaters. These species may be useful in tracing pollutant air masses resulting from oil shale production.