Abstract
Soil contamination with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) as a result of crude oil exploration and exploitation activities is currently a major environmental challenge. This study proposed diffuse reflectance spectroscopy as a viable technique for rapid assessment of hydrocarbon contamination on oil spill sites in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Spectroscopy approach was carried out in the laboratory for the prediction of TPH concentrations (mg kg-1) in genuine petroleum contaminated soils (fresh wet), as compared with analytically measured TPH concentrations. Very strong positive correlation (r = 0.9686) was achieved between analytically and spectroscopically-predicted TPH (mg kg-1). Actual and predicted absorbance (ABSact and ABSpred, respectively) values were determined and appear not to be consistent. However, very strong positive correlation appears when each of parameter was plotted against measured TPH concentration. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy methodology was found to be as good as the labour-intensive and expensive traditional laboratory analysis of soil PHCs and could be an alternative for laboratory methods and as a viable field-screening tool to enhance risk decision making on-site.
Highlights
Soil petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contamination is a global issue throughout the industrialized world [1]
This study aims at investigating spectroscopy approach; and compare with traditional analytical technique (GC-MS in this study) for the measurement of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in genuine petroleum-contaminated soil samples
Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy approach was applied for the assessment of petroleum hydrocarbon contents in genuine oil-contaminated soils
Summary
Soil petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contamination is a global issue throughout the industrialized world [1]. Niger Delta region is the home of Nigeria’s crude oil industries, which drive the economy of the country. [4] reported that the number of contaminated sites in the Niger Delta region is in excess of 2000. Reported in 2011 that in Ogoniland alone (a small part of the Niger Delta), over 69 sites were heavily contaminated with crude oil (concentration > 139,000 mg/kg) affecting soil, air and water quality criteria and posing a serious human health threat. Nigeria lacks the necessary funds, like most countries to address all the crude oil-contaminated sites (land and water) in the Niger Delta region. There is need for Nigerian government to adopt rapid measurement tools (RMT) for rapid identification of PHC contamination in soil to quicken risk-based decision making rather than relying on
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