The continuous development of human activities means that the
environment is increasingly exposed to organic pollutants which find
their way into watercourses. One of the most serious threats exists
from products of the petroleum industry which can result in environmental
contamination and toxicity to life. Products of the petroleum
industry can also constitute a fire hazard andmay be used as accelerants
by arsonists to increase the rate and intensity of a fire [1,2]. The most
commonly used accelerants are liquids, particularly petrol, diesel,
kerosene and complex mixtures of hydrocarbons obtained from the
fractional distillation of crude oil due to their low cost and ready
availability [3–8].