FOSSIL FUELS Biology Project

By Rayhan (X)
INTRODUCTION Definition
 A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material
formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of
dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a
DEFINITIO fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas.

N The origin of fossil fuels is the anaerobic decomposition

of buried dead organisms, containing organic molecules
created by photosynthesis. The conversion from these
materials to high-carbon fossil fuels typically require a
geological process of millions of years.
COAL
Introduction, Composition,
Types, Formation, Extraction,
Uses
INTRODUCTION TO COAL
Coal is a sedimentary deposit composed predominantly of carbon that is readily
combustible.
Coal is black or brownish-black, and has a composition that (including inherent
moisture) consists of more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 percent by
volume of carbonaceous material.
It is formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened, chemically
altered, and metamorphosed by heat and pressure over geologic time.
COAL COMPOSITION
The organic compounds in coal are composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and trace amounts of a variety of other elements
Coal may contain as many as 76 of the 92 naturally occurring elements of the
periodic table.
The most common minerals in coal (E.g. Illite clay, pyrite, quartz, and calcite) are
made up of these most common elements: oxygen, aluminum, silicon, iron, sulfur,
and calcium.
The mineral content of coal determines what kind of ash will be produced.
TYPES OF
COAL
Peat is a soft, organic material consisting of partly decayed plant
and mineral matter. When peat is placed under high pressure and
heat, it undergoes slow, natural, physical and chemical changes
(coalification) to become coal.

Rank refers to steps in coalification. The four ranks are (in

increasing order of grade):
 Lignite: Brown coal, Least Carbon, Low Heating Value, High
Moisture; Used in electricity generation
 Subbituminous: Black coal, Dull, Low-to-Moderate Heating
Value; Used in electricity generation
 Bituminous: Blocky and has thin alternating shiny and dull
layers, Medium Carbon, High Heating Value; Used in
electricity generation and steel making
 Anthracite: Hard, Brittle, Black, Lustrous coal, High Carbon
(Low percent of volatile material); Clean coal used for heating

Plant material > Peat > Lignite > Subbituminous > Bituminous >
Anthracite
COAL FORMATION
Coal is formed in layers, or 'seams’.
Around 300 million years ago, in the Carboniferous, Earth's climate was warm and humid,
and large swamps were plentiful.
As plant matter (and other organic matter) accumulated and decayed in swamps, it buried
and compacted. From this partially decomposed organic matter, anaerobic conditions formed
peat.
When peat was buried at shallow depths, continued heat and pressure compressed it between
layers of sediment into lignite
With continued burial, heat and deformation, lignite metamorphoses into sub-bituminous and
bituminous coal (soft coal). Finally, it becomes anthracite (hard coal)
The more metamorphism, the harder and more carbon-rich the coal becomes.
COAL EXTRACTION
Coal can be extracted from the earth either by surface mining or underground
mining.
Open-pit mining is used when coal is located deeper underground. A pit, sometimes
called a borrow, is dug in an area.
Mountaintop removal mining (MTR) strips the entire summit of a mountain of its
overburden: rocks, trees, and topsoil.
Underground mining, sometimes called deep mining, is a process that retrieves coal
from deep below the Earth’s surface—sometimes as far as 300 meters (1,000 feet).
COAL USES
Fuel: Coal is primarily used to produce heat. It is the leading energy choice for most
developing countries.
Electricity: Coal-fired power plants are one of the most popular ways to produce
and distribute electricity.
Steel Industry: Coke is burned in a blast furnace with iron ore at 1200°C. The coke
melts the iron and separates the impurities
Syngas: Syngas, a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, can be used as a
transportation fuel similar to petroleum or diesel.
Synthetic Products: Coal and coke byproducts can be used to make synthetic
materials such as tar, fertilizers, and plastics.
PETROLEUM
Introduction, Composition,
Classification, Formation,
Extraction, Uses
INTRODUCTION TO
PETROLEUM
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-
black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations.
A fossil fuel, petroleum is formed when large quantities of dead organisms, mostly
zooplankton and algae, are buried underneath sedimentary rock and subjected to
both prolonged heat and pressure.
PETROLEUM COMPOSITION
Petroleum is mainly a mixture of hydrocarbons, i.e. containing only carbon and
hydrogen. The most common components are alkanes (paraffins), cycloalkanes
(naphthene), and aromatic hydrocarbons. They generally have from 5 to 40 carbon
atoms per molecule, although trace amounts of shorter or longer molecules may be
present in the mixture.
Petroleum includes not only crude oil, but all liquid, gaseous and solid
hydrocarbons.
It may also contain nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, and trace amounts of metals such as
iron, nickel, copper and vanadium. Many oil reservoirs contain live bacteria.
CLASSIFICATION OF
PETROLEUM
The petroleum industry generally classifies crude oil by the geographic location it is
produced in, its API [American Petroleum Institute] gravity (an oil industry measure
of density), and its sulfur content. Some of the barrel reference crudes:
 West Texas Intermediate (WTI)
 Brent Blend 
 Dubai-Oman
 Tapis 
 Minas 
 The OPEC Reference Basket, a weighted average of oil blends from various OPEC (The
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)
 Midway Sunset Heavy 
 Western Canadian Select
PETROLEUM FORMATION
Oil and gas are formed from organic material mainly deposited as sediments on the
seabed and then broken down and transformed over millions of years. If there is a
suitable combination of source rock, reservoir rock, cap rock and a trap in an area,
recoverable oil and gas deposits may be discovered there.
PETROLEUM EXTRACTION
Conventional oil is extracted from underground reservoirs using traditional drilling
and pumping methods. Conventional oil is a liquid at atmospheric temperature and
pressure, so it can flow through a wellbore and a pipeline – unlike bitumen which is
too thick to flow without being heated or diluted.
Unconventional oil cannot be recovered using conventional drilling and pumping
methods. Advanced extraction techniques, such as oil sands mining and in situ
development, are used to recover heavier oil that does not flow on its own.
PETROLEUM USES
Fuels: The most common distillation fractions of petroleum are fuels. E.g. LPG, Butane, Gasoline/Petroleum, Jet Fuel,
Kerosene, Fuel oil, Diesel fuel.

Certain types of resultant hydrocarbons may be mixed with other non-hydrocarbons, to create other end products:
 Alkenes (olefins): Plastics or other compounds
 Lubricants (produces light machine oils, motor oils, and greases, adding viscosity stabilizers as required)
 Wax, used in the packaging of frozen foods, among others
 Sulfur or sulfuric acid
 Bulk tar
 Asphalt
 Petroleum coke: Specialty carbon products, Solid fuel
 Paraffin wax
 Aromatic petrochemicals to be used as precursors in other chemical production
NATURAL GAS
Introduction, Composition,
Types, Formation, Extraction,
Uses
INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL
GAS
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of
gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller
amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon dioxide,
nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and helium are also usually present.
Natural gas is colorless and odorless, so odorizers such as mercaptan (which smells
like sulfur or rotten eggs) are commonly added to natural gas supplies for safety so
that leaks can be readily detected.
COMPOSITION OF NATURAL
GAS
The largest component of natural gas is methane, a compound with one carbon atom
and four hydrogen atoms (CH4). Natural gas also contains smaller amounts of
natural gas liquids (hydrocarbon gas liquids) [ethane, propane, normal butane,
isobutane, and gasoline], and nonhydrocarbon gases, such as carbon dioxide and
water vapor.
TYPES OF NATURAL GAS
CNG (Compressed Natural Gas): Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas
mainly composed of methane (CH4), compressed to less than 1% of the volume it
occupies at standard atmospheric pressure.
RNG (Renewable Natural Gas): Renewable natural gas, also known as sustainable
natural gas or biomethane, is a biogas which has been upgraded to a quality similar
to fossil natural gas and having a methane concentration of 90% or greater.
LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas): Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas
(predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been
cooled down to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or
transport.
NATURAL GAS FORMATION
Natural gas is a fossil fuel and non-renewable resource that is formed when layers of
organic matter (primarily marine microorganisms) decompose under anaerobic
conditions and are subjected to intense heat and pressure underground over millions
of years. The energy that the decayed organisms originally obtained from the sun via
photosynthesis is stored as chemical energy within the molecules of methane and
other hydrocarbons.
NATURAL GAS EXTRACTION
Vertical Drilling: Wells are drilled straight down into the earth, directly into porous
rock formations that hold natural gas. This is also called “conventional” natural gas.
Horizontal Drilling: A flexible drilling pipe is used with a steerable drill bit. 
Hydraulic Fracturing: Hydraulic fracturing pumps fluid into the well at high
pressure, causing tight reservoir rock to crack and release the flow of natural gas. 
NATURAL GAS USES
Mid-stream natural gas: Power engines which rotate compressors.
Power Generation: Thermal power stations which burns natural gas to generate electricity.
Domestic Use: Natural gas can generate temperatures of 1,100 °C useful for cooking and as
fuel
Transportation: CNG is a cleaner and also cheaper alternative to other automobile fuels
Fertilizers: Production of ammonia, via the Haber process, for use in fertilizer production.
Hydrogen: Produce hydrogen by hydrogen reformer.
Animal and Fish Feed: Feeding natural gas to Methyl coccus capsulatus bacteria.
Manufacture of fabrics, glass, steel, plastics, paint, synthetic oil, and other products.
EFFECTS OF FOSSIL Land Degradation, Water
Pollution, Emissions, Global

FUELS Warming, Air Pollution, Impact,

Threats
LAND DEGRADATION
Unearthing; processing; moving underground oil, gas, and coal deposits; waste
storage; and waste disposal take an enormous toll on our landscapes and ecosystems.
In strip mining, entire terrain—including forests and whole mountaintops—are
blasted away. The nutrient-leached land will never return to what it once was.
Critical wildlife habitat—crucial for breeding and migration—ends up fragmented
and destroyed. Even animals are forced to stay and compete for resources
WATER POLLUTION
Coal mining operations wash toxic runoff into streams, rivers, and lakes and dump
vast quantities of unwanted rock and soil into streams.
Oil spills and leaks during extraction or transport can pollute drinking water sources
and jeopardize entire freshwater or ocean ecosystems.
Fracking and its toxic fluids have also been found to contaminate drinking water.
EMISSIONS
Fossil fuels emit harmful air pollutants long before they’re burned. These include
benzene (linked to childhood leukemia and blood disorders) and formaldehyde (a
cancer-causing chemical).
A booming fracking industry will bring that pollution to more backyards, despite
mounting evidence of the practice’s serious health impacts. Mining operations are no
better, especially for the miners themselves, generating toxic airborne particulate
matter. Strip mining—particularly in places such as Canada’s boreal forest—can
release giant carbon stores held naturally in the wild.
GLOBAL WARMING
Fossil fuels produce large quantities of carbon dioxide when burned. Carbon
emissions trap heat in the atmosphere and lead to climate change. In the US, the
burning of fossil fuels, particularly for the power and transportation sectors, accounts
for about three-quarters of our carbon emissions.
AIR POLLUTION
Fossil fuels emit not only Carbon dioxide when burned.
Coal-fired power plants dangerous Mercury emissions in the as well as Sulphur
dioxide emissions (which contribute to acid rain) and the vast majority of soot
(particulate matter) in our air.
Meanwhile, fossil fuel–powered cars, trucks, and boats are the main contributors of
poisonous Carbon monoxide and Nitrogen oxide, which produces smog on hot days
and leads to respiratory illnesses from sustained exposure.
DIFFERENT FUELS AND
IMPACT
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found that emissions from
fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming accounting for 89% of global
CO2 emissions in 2018.
Coal is the dirtiest of them all, responsible for over 0.3°C of the 1°C increase in
global average temperatures. This makes it the single largest source of global
temperature rise.
Petroleum releases huge amount of carbon when burned - approximately a third of
the world’s total. There have also been a number of oil spills in recent years that
have a devastating impact on our ocean’s ecosystem.
Natural gas is often promoted as a cleaner energy source than coal and oil. However,
it still accounts for a fifth of the world’s total carbon emissions.
THREATS TO EARTH
The IPCC warns that fossil fuel emissions must be halved within 11 years if global
warming is to be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
In 2015, the world’s governments signed up to the Paris Agreement committing to
reduce carbon emissions. However, a recent report by the UN Environment Program
shows that globally, we are on track to produce more than double the amount of coal,
oil and gas by 2030 than we can burn if we are to limit global warming by 1.5C. So
more needs to be done.
EUROPEAN EMISSION Introduction, Stages, Reduction

STANDARDS of Air Pollution

INTRODUCTION TO EUROPEAN
EMISSION STANDARDS
The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards for pollution from
the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and EEA member
states and the UK, and ships in EU waters.
Euro standards allude to the reasonable discharge levels, for both petroleum and
diesel vehicles, which have been carried out in Europe.
Nonetheless, the public authority in India has embraced the Euro standards for
accessible fuel quality and the technique for testing.
It expects producers to decrease the current contaminating emanation levels more
effectively by rolling out specific specialized improvements in their vehicles.
STAGES
The legal framework consists in a series of directives, each amendments to the 1970 Directive 70/220/EEC.
The following is a summary list of the standards, when they come into force, what they apply to, and which
EU directives provide the definition of the standard.
Euro 1 (1992): For passenger cars—91/441/EEC, for passenger cars and light lorries—93/59/EEC
Euro 2 (1996) for passenger cars—94/12/EC (& 96/69/EC), for motorcycle—2002/51/EC (row A)—
2006/120/EC
Euro 3 (2000) for any vehicle—98/69/EC, for motorcycle—2002/51/EC (row B)—2006/120/EC
Euro 4 (2005) for any vehicle—98/69/EC (& 2002/80/EC)
Euro 5 (2009) for light passenger and commercial vehicles—715/2007/EC
Euro 6 (2014) for light passenger and commercial vehicles—459/2012/EC and 2016/646/EU
Euro 7 (probably 2025)
REDUCTION OF AIR
POLLUTION
Both the Euro standards are dependable in observing the discharges of the vehicles
and the level of the gases that dirty the climate.
Euro standards will investigate the healing arrangements so the emanations can be
controlled to support the nature of oxygen in the environment.
Euro standards subsequently assist in offering contamination with a liberating
climate to the general public.
REDUCTION Businesses, Individuals,
Alternatives
BUSINESSES
Manage and Reduce Emissions: Preparing annual greenhouse gas inventories and
setting long-term targets to reduce emissions.
Increase Energy Efficiency: Developing and implementing an effective corporate
energy management program allows companies to manage energy with the same
expertise used to manage other aspects of their business.
Buy Renewable Energy: Buying renewable energy, can help reduce an
organization's environmental impact while also providing a number of other valuable
benefits.
INDIVIDUALS
Conserve Energy:
 Turn off electrical equipment when not in use.
 Buy devices that use less electricity Limiting the use of air conditioning.
 Install a programmable thermostat.

Minimize the Miles: Carpool, Take public transform, or is possible, walk or bike
instead.
ALTERNATIVES
The main alternatives are nuclear power, solar power, ethanol, and wind power.
Fossil fuels still dwarf these alternatives in energy markets, but they help in the shift
towards sustainability and more green business practices.
Alternative forms of energy have, to this point, proven to be uneconomic substitutes;
they are less efficient and more expensive (or, in the case of nuclear power,
completely restricted from expanding) than fossil fuels.
CONCLUSION Why we still use Fossil Fuels?
WHY DO WE STILL USE FOSSIL
FUELS?
Convenience: The coal/oil/gas is there already just waiting to be dug up. We already
have the infrastructure in place to mine the fuels and doesn’t require significant
investment and installation.
Proven Success: There is no doubting that fossil fuels produce a range of highly
successful, and relatively easy to produce, sources of energy.
Unawareness/Naivety: Mostly, fossil fuels have been used for so long because we
just weren’t aware of the significant damage they were doing to the planet. Humans
have been burning fossil fuels for over 1,000 years and the oil industry first
acknowledged the impact fossil fuels were having on our planet in the 1960’s.
THANK YOU By Rayhan