Here is literally the first thing that comes up on a “do microbes eat oil” Google search:
Oh, ye of little faith!
(Pretty much the only chemicals we routinely use that are incapable of being eaten are halogenated carbons, such as PCBs, and polymerized hydrocarbons, such as plastic. And we’ve even found a few microbes that will eat PCBs up!
Motor oil, derived from crude oil, is chemically fairly similar to plain ol’ fat. PLENTY of microbes will “chow down” on it! Heck, Tester, you ought to know this; after all, microbal growth in diesel fuel (a type of oil) is well-known, and has to be guarded against via anti-microbal additives.)
Holy MOLEY! I thought I was done with this thread…and then I read that BOOOOOOGUS link you gave me. I’m gonna quote in text, because you otherwise wouldn’t BELIEVE the load of bull they’re trying to sell!
Motor oil picks up a variety of hazardous contaminants when used in engines and transmissions. These contaminants include lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, dioxins, benzene and polycyclic aromatics
No used oil analysis I’VE ever seen has had more than 5PPM of lead, cadmium, chromium, etc. (It ought to be known chromium is only an issue if hexvalent, but the author of this propaganda piece likely can’t spell “hexvalent,” much less know what it means.)
Benzene and polycyclic aromatics…just means there’s a bit of gasoline in the oil. Of course, expressed in the most scare-worthy, tabloid fashion possible, but whatever.
There’s DIOXINS in used oil?! Really? Dioxins contain ELEMENTAL CHLORINE. Where in Hades does the chlorine come from? Unless you paid extra for the “Mr. Fusion” option, you’re not gonna spontaneously create an element inside your Accord’s engine! This guy ought to have his high school diploma retroactively revoked for writing such drivel! No chlorine in = no dioxin out.
Of course, upon reading such (ahem) “bovine scatology,” I immediately looked for a citation. Naturally, there was none to be found. (Does this then count as a “creative writing” assignment?)
It is VERY HARD to take environmentalists seriously, when they put out this sort of “fake news” nonsense. Yet, it is MORALLY IMPERATIVE to tear it to shreds, lest a big lie, told often enough, by those in a position of authority be taken as truth.
P.S. I’m somewhat dissapointed that they failed to mention the trace amounts of di-hydrogen monoxide (DHMO) that frequently is present in used oil. It would seem to fit the overall piece to include it!
Cheap aftermarket oil filters seem to drain well, perhaps because of poor filter media or the lack of an anti-drain back valve, but OEM filters do not. OEM filters trap the oil between the filter media and the metal case.
This small oil filter from my car has be draining for 3 weeks, I put it aside, it did not get crushed with the others, I have been on vacation for two weeks. I brought the filter home tonight, punched a hole in the side and drained it into a plastic bottle. Looks like about 6 ounces, times 100 oil changes per day per shop, perhaps enough oil to power a ship.
Maybe someday oil filters will just be outlawed, then we won’t have to worry about it. I do believe that the key to proper disposal of hazardous items and the recycling of items depends on the availability of the services. If it is reasonably easy to do, most people will recycle. Where I am there has been a long progression of developing services starting with glass and cans and then paper and plastic and now paint and anything else. Its easy and free (tax paid).
Used oil used to be taken by the gas station but then he stopped and the recycling center expanded to handle oil. Filters were never included though until about the last five years. We were just told to drain the oil and put them in the garbage. Then they changed their instructions. So now the recycling center gets them along with my used oil.
As every recycling center has found out, there are bigger fish to fry than oil filters and just depends what’s available locally. Of course in the old days they would have gone to the community incinerator. The oil and filter material would have been burned out and the metal would have decomposed with the ash in the land fill. I’m not convinced incineration is still not smarter than burying everything.
You might have a point! I always assumed the oil would reverse-flow through the media, and out the center hole, given enough time, ADBV or no ADBV. Maybe I’m wrong! (I note you have it canted; would that make a difference?)
If I get more than a shot glass worth of oil, I’ll change my ways. At least poke a hole in the shell with a screwdriver.
Our waste/recycling company encourages the recycling of paper, cardboard, cans and bottles. They don’t promote collecting of waste products like oil and filters, there is no profit in this. The handling of these items may be required by the county but it is not well know by the community.
We take out : plastic bottles , cans , pop cans , cardboard and paper to a recycling place that hires physical and mental handicap people and while they will pay for it we just donate.
Oil MAY degrade over time. Not like Gasoline or Kerosene or other biodegradable products. But it’s a LONG LONG time. Centuries. And as Tester pointed out the conditions have to be perfect. Boston had an oil near North Station some 50+ years ago. You look where the oil spill happened and all you see are wet lands. When you walk in it (wear thick heavy boots) the boots will be covered with the oil. Biodegrade? I think after 50 years it would be gone.
It’s funny how you can possibly think motor oil degrades when oil companies are now working on biodegradable motor oil. Gee I thought it already did??? LOL.
You still find oil showing up in peoples wells decades after the contaminate was cleaned up. But don’t worry…it’ll biodegrade…That’s funny.
Are you taking the time to read and comprehend?
Most filters are equipped with Anti-drain back valves. Please explain how you are fully draining your filters that are designed to retain the oil in them? Now look at the volume of that can. It’s not drops, it’s substantial.
In the grand scheme will the oil soaked filters ever be noticed in the mountains of Wal-Mart sacks and Big Mac cartons? The last time I visited the county dump sight brown plastic bags and styrafoam cartons seemed to be the only identifiable trash in sight and there were many acres 20-40’ deep being crushed down. In a few thousand years archeologists will dig up the sight and discover just how trashy we were.
I stick toothpicks to unseat anti-drain valve flap, then put it down to drain while finishing an oil change, by the point I’m done, it does not drip, but likely I would still be able to get another 1/2 oz. out if crush media
In my place, AdvanceAutoParts accepts both used oil and filters, so there it goes
I’ve seen people who are too bothered to care at all about the environment. I called the cops on one idiot who was changing his oil at the carwash. He just removed the plug and let it drain right on the ground. Boy was he pissed when he was sited with a hefty $500 fine. He denied it, but I decided to take a video with my IPhone.
No excuses for that kind of behavior but I fear some day we will read in the paper that Mike in NH has disappeared. He went to the car wash and never returned. His car was still there but his body and phone are missing. Gotta be careful out there and check for MS13 tattoos first.
I certainly agree it is not that hard to do but most people won’t go to the effort you do. You can see the resistance to the idea displayed here. I certainly applaud you for taking the time to do the right thing!
