Investigation of chemical quality, oil and metal contamination of surface waters at Shazand Refinery and Distribution Complex, Arak, Iran
Subject Areas : Industrial pollution
Abdorreza
Vaezihir
1
(Professor, Earth Scirnces Dept., Faculty of Natural Sciences, Univerity of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran Corresponding author)
Mohammad
Ranjdoust Yamchi
2
(MSc. Student of environmental geology, Dept., Faculty of Natural Sciences, Univerity of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.)
Ali
Kadkhodaie
3
(Professor, Earth Scirnces Dept., Faculty of Natural Sciences, Univerity of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.)
Alireza
Gholmohammadi
4
(MSc. Student of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Sciences and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.)
Keywords: hydrochemical, Shazand Refinery, runoff, hydrocarbon material,
Abstract :
Background‏‏ and‏‏ Purpose:‏‏ Pollution‏‏ of‏‏ surface‏‏ water‏‏ by‏‏ hydrocarbon‏‏ compounds‏‏ released‏‏ from‏‏ the‏‏ refineries,‏‏ storage‏‏ tanks‏‏ and‏‏ convay‏‏ pipline‏‏ is‏‏ very‏‏ possible‏‏ and‏‏ need‏‏ to‏‏ be‏‏ addressed‏‏ with‏‏ high‏‏ sensitivity.‏‏‏‏ Purpose‏‏ of‏‏ this‏‏ study‏‏ is‏‏ investigation‏‏ of‏‏ contamination‏‏ and‏‏ hydrochemical‏‏ properties‏‏ of‏‏ runoff‏‏ waters‏‏ at‏‏ Shazand‏‏ refinery.‏‏ Water‏‏ samples‏‏ collected‏‏ and‏‏ analysed‏‏ for‏‏ major‏‏ ions‏‏ and‏‏ oil‏‏ and‏‏ metal‏‏ contaminants. Research‏‏ method:‏‏ Twoelve‏‏ samples‏‏ were‏‏ collected‏‏ from‏‏ surface‏‏ waters‏‏ of‏‏ the‏‏ refinery‏‏ and‏‏ were‏‏ analyzed‏‏ for‏‏ oil‏‏ materials,‏‏ some‏‏ heavy‏‏ metals,‏‏ nutrients‏‏ and‏‏ major‏‏ ions.‏‏ Some‏‏ other‏‏ parameters‏‏ like‏‏ EC‏‏ and‏‏ pH‏‏ were‏‏ meseared‏‏ in‏‏ situe. Findings:‏‏ According‏‏ to‏‏ the‏‏ results,‏‏ the‏‏ runoff‏‏ in‏‏ some‏‏ parts‏‏ of‏‏ the‏‏ refinery‏‏ shows‏‏ contamination‏‏ by‏‏ benzene.‏‏ Ethylbenzene‏‏ concentration,‏‏ however,‏‏ is‏‏ less‏‏ than‏‏ maximum‏‏ permissible‏‏ level‏‏ and‏‏ no‏‏ evidence‏‏ of‏‏ MTBE‏‏ and‏‏ toluene‏‏ was‏‏ detected. Discussion‏‏ and‏‏ conclusion:‏‏ Pollution‏‏ by‏‏ benzene‏‏ can‏‏ be‏‏ due‏‏ to‏‏ pollutants‏‏ released‏‏ from‏‏ the‏‏ refining‏‏ process‏‏ and‏‏ spilling‏‏ of‏‏ oil.‏‏ A‏‏ part‏‏ of‏‏ BTEX‏‏ pollutants‏‏ in‏‏ surface‏‏ water‏‏ can‏‏ be‏‏ came‏‏ from‏‏ atmospheric‏‏ washout‏‏ during‏‏ precipitation.‏‏ No‏‏ evidents‏‏ of‏‏ MTBE‏‏ detected‏‏ in‏‏ the‏‏ samples.‏‏ ‏‏ It‏‏ should‏‏ be‏‏ mentioned‏‏ that‏‏ BTEX‏‏ and‏‏ MTBE‏‏ are‏‏ volatile‏‏ components‏‏ and‏‏ cannot‏‏ be‏‏ survived‏‏ in‏‏ surface‏‏ water‏‏ for‏‏ a‏‏ long‏‏ time.‏‏ Chemical‏‏ parameters‏‏ such‏‏ as‏‏ EC‏‏ and‏‏ ions‏‏ concentaration‏‏ in‏‏ the‏‏ surface‏‏ water‏‏ in‏‏ the‏‏ central‏‏ area‏‏ of‏‏ the‏‏ refinery‏‏ shows‏‏ an‏‏ anomaly‏‏ which‏‏ would‏‏ be‏‏ related‏‏ to‏‏ the‏‏ industrial‏‏ activites.‏‏ The‏‏ runoff‏‏ of‏‏ this‏‏ part‏‏ of‏‏ the‏‏ refinery‏‏ is‏‏ less‏‏ suitable‏‏ for‏‏ industrial‏‏ and‏‏ agricultural‏‏ usges.‏‏
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