Fascinating. While there is no way I would condone this - I'm an Environmentalist by profession and a PhD microbiologist - it is not generally realised that mineral oils are biodegradable albeit only slowly. This was actually used to advantage by ICI and Shell in the 1970s when they developed microbial cultures that could degrade oil and other hydrocarbons - they isolated the bacteria from oil-contaminated ground - and these bugs are used nowadays in a process called Bioremediation. ICI and Shell even took it one stage further and investigated growing similar bacteria as food and feed sources using natural gas as the carbon source. The ICI product (it was intended to be used as a milk replacer) even got a name - Pruteen. In the end the processes were not economically viable and the products never got to market. All, however, was not lost: the ICI Fermenter located at Billingham on Teeside became part of a joint venture with Rank Hovis McDougall (RHM) who had developed Quorn and that same Fermenter, together with more built in the meantime, is still used to produce Quorn. Quite a story and with a happy ending. Isn't it 'marvellous' what you learn on a WW2 Forum!
Indeed most of the crude oil produced by geological processes leaked to the surface and was disposed of by natural processes millions of years before mankind came on the scene and started drilling for the stuff in those places where it was trapped by rock formations (domes).However it takes a looooonnggg time especially in the case of the heavier tar like elements. I attended a conference in Cyprus once at which Soviet scientists were trying to sell microbiological processes to the Middle East for cleaning up oil spills. They claimed to have greatly accelerated the process but the USSR collapsed before they made any sales Using microbes for disposal of hazardous material is not new. Back in the 60's some one discovered and developed a strain that found the cyanide left over from case hardening yummy but it was found more economical to recycle the stuff.
Could be interesting to swap notes sometime! CCCP actually had some very good industrial microbiologists....and so did/have we. Met quite a lot of 'the old guard' at Porton Down many years ago. I was at a conference once (happy PhD student days) with some chaps from Porton Down sat to my left having a thoroughly good chat with the guy who 'invented' Quorn sat to my right. It was like being sandwiched between the Gods - amazing experience.
Paint your wooden fence with it a nice preserver Although I do like the smell of old creosote the engine oil will do the same trick
And it doesn't have the same carcinogenic qualities as creosote. However most domestic refuse collection centres will have an oil disposal tank - much better to pour it in there and it can be recycled.
Mix a little paraffin in it too. Farmers around here often put a rock on top of wooden fence posts. It was new to me but makes great sense. Keeps some of the rain off the end grain. Do they do that across the pond as well?
Using used bottoms of water bottles is quite a common practise, especially in France where they have loads of empty water bottles TD
Reading this thread and then comparing it to my Health & Safety policies at work are making me chuckle.
We used to put creosote on the top of stall doors to keep horses from chewing on the wood. Smell brings back stable memories for me EDIT: Of course Mr Creosote kind of ruins them
Terry Prachett's Disc World series uses the phrase "A rich as Creosote" on many occasions The EU has banned much use of the product Long-term exposure, especially direct contact with skin during wood treatment or manufacture of coal tar creosote-treated products, to low levels of creosote has resulted in skin cancer and cancer of the scrotum. ... The EPA has also determined that coal tar creosote is a probable human carcinogen.
I like the smell of the old diesel fumes spewed out by the London Routemaster buses back in the 20th century and the black cabs
New to me too. In Canada, you're more likely to see the fence post top either bevelled or cut off at a 45 degree angle so the snow/water runs off.
Almost all the buses in NY when I was growing up used Detroit Diesel two strokes. Very smoky but I miss the smell.
Creosote is now only available as a non carcinogenic substitute. Old engine oil disposal... UK County Councils normally have the facility to depose of it at their recycling centres.I would think it is then given recycling treatment and is return to use....oil does not lose its tribological qualities..deterioration requires to be addressed and any foreign matter filtered out with refining to follow.I am sure that Germany during WW2 prolonged lube oil availability and maximised the recovery of used internal combustion engine oil by recycling Commercial quantities of lube oil such as that from turbine lube oil systems are usually transported off site for recycling treatment and put to use again....specialist firms usually undertake this during a typical maintenance survey frequency of every three years. Transformer oil of large transformers is usually cleaned on site according to the maintenance survey frequency...every three years is the norm....specialist service from brand oil companies using a mobile treatment unit. Here in the UK,a variation on fencing pole top grain weathering protection is a triangular piece of wood,treated and placed on top of the pole to form a pitch roof where rain can easily run off. Regarding the disposal of waste engine oil certain privately owned garages used fire it on a boiler after filtering....kept the workshop warm during winter.