The other 9.5 million gallons of used oil is dumped - into sewers, on the ground, and into the trash. Dumping used oil sends the oil and its contaminants into ground and surface water. Can Pollute Our Environment Used motor oil may contain toxic substances such as lead, benzene, zinc, cadmium, and arsenic. Used oil is not removed from the sewage treated at wastewater treatment plants, In fact, some plants use processes that can create additional pollutants from the chemicals present in used oil. Just one quart of oil is enough to create a two-acre sized oil slick on surface water.
Oil is harmful to aquatic life.
For example, oil kills organisms in the water that fish rely on as a food source. A gallon of used oil can ruin a million gallons of freshwater - a year's supply for 50 people. Used oil can be re-refined into lubricating oil that is equal in quality to lubricating oil made from crude oil. If all the DIY oil generated were recycled, it would save Pennsylvania 103,000 barrels of oil per day. You can help protect the environment and save resources by taking your used oil to one of the many collection sites that have volunteered to accept used oil from the public.