Levels Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons Research Articles

Characterization and identification of long-chain hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial communities in long-term chronically polluted soil in Ogoniland: an integrated approach using culture-dependent and independent methods

Escalating oil consumption has resulted in an increase in accidental spills of petroleum hydrocarbons, causing severe environmental degradation, notably in vulnerable regions like the Niger Delta. Complex mixture of these hydrocarbons particularly long-chain alkanes presents unique challenges in restoration of polluted environment due to their chemical properties. This study aimed to investigate the long-chain hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial communities within long-term chronically polluted soil in Ogoniland, by utilizing both traditional cultivation methods and modern culture-independent techniques. Results revealed that surface-polluted soil (SPS) and subsurface soil (SPSS) exhibit significantly higher total organic carbon (TOC) ranging from 5.64 to 5.06% and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) levels ranging from 36,775 ppm to 14,087 ppm, compared to unpolluted soil (UPS) with 1.97% TOC and 479 ppm TPH, respectively. Analysis of carbon chain lengths reveals the prevalence of longer-chain alkanes (C20-28) in the surface soil. Culture-dependent methods, utilizing crude oil enrichment (COE) and paraffin wax enrichment (PWE), yield 47 bacterial isolates subjected to a long-chain alkane degradation assay. Twelve bacterial strains demonstrate significant degradation abilities across all enriched media. Three bacterial members, namely Pseudomonas sp. (almA), Marinomonas sp. (almA), and Alteromonas (ladA), exhibit genes responsible for long-chain alkane degradation, demonstrating efficiency between 50 and 80%. Culture-independent analysis reveals that surface SPS samples exhibit greater species richness and diversity compared to subsurface SPSS samples. Proteobacteria dominates as the phylum in both soil sample types, ranging from 22.23 to 82.61%, with Firmicutes (0.2–2.22%), Actinobacteria (0.4–3.02%), and Acidobacteria (0.1–3.53%) also prevalent. Bacterial profiles at genus level revealed that distinct variations among bacterial populations between SPS and SPSS samples comprising number of hydrocarbon degraders and the functional predictions also highlight the presence of potential catabolic genes (nahAa, adh2, and cpnA) in the polluted soil. However, culture-dependent analysis only captured a few of the dominant members found in culture-independent analysis, implying that more specialized media or environments are needed to isolate more bacterial members. The findings from this study contribute valuable information to ecological and biotechnological aspects, aiding in the development of more effective bioremediation applications for restoring oil-contaminated environments.

Reactive Transport Modeling for Exploring the Potential of Water Quality Sensors to Estimate Hydrocarbon Levels in Groundwater

AbstractPetroleum products have contaminated groundwater with harmful organic compounds, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX). Collecting and analyzing polluted groundwater samples is expensive and undertaken infrequently. However, quick remedial action in case of unexpected events requires continuous monitoring. In‐situ water quality sensors (pH, EC, DO, ORP) may show correlations with the components of dissolved petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) such as aromatics and non‐volatile mobile fractions. Correlations are prerequisite to ultimately develop real‐time prediction models. Since suitable field data sets are limited, we simulated the fate of hydrocarbons in groundwater under various realistic conditions using a reactive transport model as novel approach to explore when, where, and why correlations occur. A stationary oil source zone continuously dissolved at the top of a heterogeneous and shallow sandy aquifer over a two‐dimensional cross‐section. Our model considered transient conditions (fluctuating water table) and spatially uniform hydrogeochemical composition. We observed a strong correlation between PHCs and water quality sensors (rolling Spearman's correlation > |0.8|) at varying periods. These correlations are strongly affected by the location of observation wells, the aquifer's hydraulic conductivity, and the availability of calcite and oxide minerals, and other electron acceptors. DO and ORP are significant for the early detection of hydrocarbon contamination, whereas pH and EC are important features for the long‐term monitoring of hydrocarbons. Our findings lay the foundation for the subsequent development of a data analysis model to detect and estimate in real time PHC levels in groundwater using in‐situ water quality sensors.

Residual hydrocarbons in long-term contaminated soils: implications to risk-based management

Petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contamination is a widespread and severe environmental issue affecting many countries’ resource sectors. PHCs are mixtures of hydrocarbon compounds with varying molar masses that naturally attenuate at different rates. Lighter fractions attenuate first, followed by medium-molar-mass constituents, while larger molecules remain for longer periods. This results in significant regulatory challenges concerning residual hydrocarbons in long-term contaminated soils. This study examined the potential risks associated with residual PHC and its implications for risk-based management of heavily contaminated soils (23,000–26,000 mg PHC/kg). Ecotoxicological properties, such as seedling emergence and growth of two native plant species—small Flinders grass (Iseilema membranaceum) and ruby saltbush (Enchylaena tomentosa)—and earthworm survival tests in PHC-contaminated soils, were assessed. Additionally, the effects of aging on the attenuation of PHC in contaminated soils were evaluated. Toxicity responses of plant growth parameters were determined as no-observed-effect concentrations: 75%–100% for seedling emergence, < 25%–75% for plant shoot height, and 75%–100% for earthworm survival. After 42 weeks of aging, the total PHC levels in weathered soils decreased by 14% to 30% and by 67% in diesel-spiked soil due to natural attenuation. Dehydrogenase enzyme activity in soils increased during the initial aging period. Furthermore, a clear shift of bacterial communities was observed in the soils following aging, including enrichment of PHC-resistant and -utilizing bacteria—for example, Nocardia sp. This study underscores the potential of natural attenuation for eco-friendly and cost-effective soil management, underlining that its success depends on site-specific factors like water content and nutrient availability. Therefore, we recommend detailed soil assessments to evaluate these conditions prior to adopting a risk-based management approach.

The effect of oil pollution on community structure of benthic macro ‎invertebrates in the northwest of the Persian Gulf ‎ ‎(Case study: Jafari creek)‎

&lt;p&gt;This study evaluates the contamination levels of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons in Jafari ‎Creek sediments and the effect of these pollutions on Macrobenthos in 2017. Studies to understand ‎the effect of heavy metal Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel, Lead, Selenium, Zinc, Copper, and ‎Vanadium, and 16 hydrocarbon compounds, organic material, and soil texture on the population of ‎Jafari Creek Macrobenthos in five stations along the estuary and analyzed using standard ‎procedures. The 4 identified Macrobenthos included Bivalvia with 9 species, Gastropoda with 8 ‎species, Crustacea with 7 species, and Polychaeta with 6 species totaling Macrobenthos 3645.14 per ‎square meter. The dominant class was Polychaetes (53.9%), followed by Bivalvia (23.2%), ‎Gastropoda (9.93%), and Crustaceans (15.8%), with slightly different (P&amp;lt;0.05), were in the second ‎and third class. Among the studied metals, zinc, chromium, and nickel had the highest ‎concentration. Among the hydrocarbons, Anthracene at station 1, Fluorene at station 2, ‎Phenanthrene and Dibenzo [A, H] Anthracene at station 3, and Fluoranthene at station 4 with a ‎concentration between &amp;lt;0.01- 0.091 ppm had the highest value. The highest and lowest heavy metal ‎concentrations were measured at station 4 (215.54 ± 14.58 ppm) and station 1 (102.39 ± 24.15 ‎ppm), respectively. In return, stations 1 (0.339 ± 0.074 ppm) and 4 (0.196 ± 0.078 ppm) had the ‎highest and lowest concentration of hydrocarbons, respectively. Regarding the number of identified ‎Macrobenthos, stations 3 and 2, with 1738.64 and 333.28 n/m2 had the highest and lowest numbers, ‎respectively. The class of Crustacea had a positive correlation with zinc, copper, and lead metal and ‎a negative correlation with Selenium. Polychaeta was positively correlated with cadmium and ‎vanadium. Gastropoda had a negative correlation with vanadium and chromium, a positive ‎correlation with lead and hydrocarbons, and Bivalvia correlated negatively with lead and zinc and ‎had a correlation with vanadium. Considering that the areas around Jafari Creek are an industrial, ‎petrochemical, and economic region considered one of the important catchments in the province of ‎Khuzestan, the sediments, water, and animal tissues must be periodically the analysis of heavy ‎metals and oil hydrocarbons should be considered.‎&lt;/p&gt;&#x0D;

Geochemical and Geospatial Distribution of Organic Contaminants in the Flood Plain of Ekpetiama, Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

This study investigated the geochemical and geospatial distribution of organic contaminants in the floodplain water and sediments of Ekpetiama in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. This study is necessary because there are limited data on the level of organic contamination in this section of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. The extinction of planktons in Ekpetiama became a source of concern to the residents. This concern is because this section of the coastal plain provides fisher folks with livelihood. So, there was a need to track the source of contamination in this part of the Niger Delta region. Previous studies have suggested a high level of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon and Total Hydrocarbon Content as possible sources of reduced dissolved oxygen in similar deltaic terrain. A total of 10 water and 10 sediment samples were collected and analyzed in triplicate at an interval of 100 m in the flood plain. A particle size analyzer was used to perform particle size analyses of air-dried sediments. The American Public Health Association method (APHA) was used to do the chemical analysis of the water samples. Here, a liquid-liquid extraction procedure was performed on sediment samples using 30 mL of Dichloromethane (DCM) as the extracting agent. The results were subjected to statistical validation. The mean grain size ranged from 2.37-4.83, kurtosis (1.94-0.49), and skewness (-0.8-0.71). The contaminant indicators (pH, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen and Total Organic Carbon) point to the presence of organic contamination of the flood plain. The results indicated a total petroleum hydrocarbon range of 0.47-0.87 ppm in water and 0.69-0.96 ppm in sediments and a total hydrocarbon content range of 1.10-2.80 ppm in water and 2.56-3.90 ppm in sediment# samples. The results were above the permitted limits of the World Health Organisation. The source of ecological damage is the abnormal concentrations of organic contaminants in the flood plain. These results significantly caused ecosystem damage and human health effects in the food chain. This study provides information to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency for a cleanup process.

Geochemical and Geospatial Distribution of Organic Contaminants in the Flood Plain of Ekpetiama, Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

This study investigated the geochemical and geospatial distribution of organic contaminants in the floodplain water and sediments of Ekpetiama in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. This study is necessary because there are limited data on the level of organic contamination in this section of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. The extinction of planktons in Ekpetiama became a source of concern to the residents. This concern is because this section of the coastal plain provides fisher folks with livelihood. So, there was a need to track the source of contamination in this part of the Niger Delta region. Previous studies have suggested a high level of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon and Total Hydrocarbon Content as possible sources of reduced dissolved oxygen in similar deltaic terrain. A total of 10 water and 10 sediment samples were collected and analyzed in triplicate at an interval of 100 m in the flood plain. A particle size analyzer was used to perform particle size analyses of air-dried sediments. The American Public Health Association method (APHA) was used to do the chemical analysis of the water samples. Here, a liquid-liquid extraction procedure was performed on sediment samples using 30 mL of Dichloromethane (DCM) as the extracting agent. The results were subjected to statistical validation. The mean grain size ranged from 2.37-4.83, kurtosis (1.94-0.49), and skewness (-0.8-0.71). The contaminant indicators (pH, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen and Total Organic Carbon) point to the presence of organic contamination of the flood plain. The results indicated a total petroleum hydrocarbon range of 0.47-0.87 ppm in water and 0.69-0.96 ppm in sediments and a total hydrocarbon content range of 1.10-2.80 ppm in water and 2.56-3.90 ppm in sediment# samples. The results were above the permitted limits of the World Health Organisation. The source of ecological damage is the abnormal concentrations of organic contaminants in the flood plain. These results significantly caused ecosystem damage and human health effects in the food chain. This study provides information to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency for a cleanup process.

Evaluating the effectiveness of various remediation therapies on the engineering properties of oil-contaminated soils

This study was embarked upon to ascertain the effectiveness of using physical and biological remediation procedures to amend the impact of oil pollution on soil engineering properties. Soil contaminated with crude oil at a mix ratio of 20:1 (percentage by weight), was remediated with charcoal (C2), charcoal + seaweed extract + groundnut plant (C3), and charcoal + wood ash + groundnut plant (C4). During the procedure, the soil’s total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) level was determined through American Public Health Association (APHA) approved procedures; while the geotechnical (maximum dry density “MDD”, optimal moisture content “OMC, and California bearing ratio “CBR”) and electrical properties (electrical conductivity “EC”, dielectric constant “ɛʹ, and electrical resistivity “ρ”) were measured in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) approved procedures. The results depicted that the TPH, ɛʹ and ρ-values of the contaminated soil samples declined by 56.71%, 82.01% and 72.80%; 31.65%, 36.85% and 19.92%; and 56.32%, 62.03% and 60.27%, respectively in the C2, C3 and C4 samples after the remediation program; while the soil EC increased by 103.45%, 145.68% and 135.34% in the C2, C3 and C4 samples, respectively. Likewise, the C2, C3 and C4 samples CBR, MDD and OMC values increased by 29.49%, 34.75% and 50.30%; 7.87%, 11.02% and 4.72; and 12.02%, 28.01% and 40.38%, respectively at the end of the experimental period. These findings portrayed that hybridized remediation therapies are better remediating techniques in remediating contaminated soils; hence sustaining the integrity of the soils’ geotechnical and electrical properties.

Pollution level and health risk assessment of the total petroleum hydrocarbon in marine environment and aquatic products: a case of China.

To evaluate the pollution level and health risk of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), seawater, sediments, and aquatic organisms were sampled from the southern sea area of Zhejiang Province (Yangtze River Delta, China) between 2017 and 2019. TPH was widely present in the aquatic environment and products, and its concentration was highly variable. The average value of pollution index (PI) exceeded 1 from 2017 to 2018, and 45.46-69.19% of seawater samples and 56.87-50.00% of sediment samples were polluted. The results showed significant differences in the TPH concentration in various species of aquatic organisms. The average TPH value in aquatic organisms could be ranked in the order as follows: bivalve > shrimp > crab > fish, further reflecting that the ability to accumulate and metabolize TPH existed differently among aquatic organisms within the same pond aquaculture environment. It was relatively safe to eat aquatic products since the exposure risk index was found to be far below the threshold value in this study. Therefore, it would be prudent to undertake regular monitoring of TPH to ensure effective ecosystem functioning and seafood safety in the southern Zhejiang ocean.

Water quality assessment of east Tiaoxi River, China, based on a comprehensive water quality index model and Monte-Carlo simulation

The comprehensive water quality index (CWQI) reflects the comprehensive pollution status of rivers through mathematical statistics of several water quality indicators. Using computational mathematical simulations, high-confidence CWQI predictions can be obtained based on limited water quality monitoring samples. At present, most of the CWQI reported in the literature are based on conventional indicators such as nitrogen and phosphorus levels, and do not include the petroleum hydrocarbons levels. This article takes a typical river in eastern China as an example, based on the 1-year monitoring at 20 sampling sets, a CWQI containing five factors, TN, NH4+-N, TP, ∑n-Alks, and ∑PAHs was established, and further predicted by a Monte-Carlo model. The predicted CWQI for each monitoring section is above 0.7, indicating that most of the monitoring sections are moderately polluted, and some sections are seriously polluted. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient analysis results show that TN, ∑PAHs, and ∑n-Alks are the main factors influencing the water quality, especially the petroleum hydrocarbons have a significant impact on the middle and lower reaches due to shipping. In the future, more attention should be paid to petroleum hydrocarbon organic pollutants in the water quality evaluation of similar rivers.

Assessment of hydrocarbons and trace metals pollution in water and sediments of the Fertilizer Plant wastes in Khor Al-Zubair, Iraq

The levels of petroleum hydrocarbons and trace elements were determined in water and sediment samples from the Fertilizer Plant in Khor Al-Zubair, southern Iraq, from three selected locations; ammonia unit, urea unit and water treatment plant. The mean concentrations of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs) in the water were 81.07 µg/l at ammonia unit, 153.69 µg/l at urea unit and 8.89 µg/l at water treatment plant. The mean values of TPHs in the sediment were 129.46µg/g at ammonia unit, 406.68 µg/g at urea unit and 48.97µg/g at water treatment plant. The range of trace metals concentrations (mg/l) for water samples were 480.13-620.12 for Fe, 280.23-400.26 for Mn, 3.28-10.23 for Cu, 18.23-31.28 for Zn, 3.26-9.23 for Pb, 0.23-1.05 for Cd and 6.25-10.21 for Co. The range of these measured metals concentrations in µg/g for sediment samples were 632.18-980.45 for Fe, 280.23-400.26 for Mn, 9.26-16.53 for Cu, 30.12-51.24 for Zn, 23.41-30.23 for Pb, 0.62-1.52 for Cd and 20.21-32.42 for Co. The results have been compared to other international and local values. The geochemical index values for studied metals excluded Fe and Cd in the sediments of the three stations exhibited class 2 and hence are moderately polluted. Station (2) was the highest in the geochemical index. All the sampling locations have an enrichment factors values greater than 5 except location (1) for Cd and location (3) for Zn. The sediments from the studied locations fall under the category of low for Fe, moderate for Zn and Cd expect location (2) which showed a contamination factor (CF) of 4, marginally falls under considerable degree of contamination and considerable to very high contamination for the rest metals. All sediment samples with pollution index greater than 1 showed pollution caused by industrial processes of Fertilizer Plant.

Status of oil pollution in water and sediment from Shatt Al-Arab Estuary and North-West Arabian Gulf

In the present study, an attempt was made to study the levels of petroleum hydrocarbon residues in Water and Sediment samples collected from ten stations at the region of Shatt Al-Arab Estuary and North-West of the Arabian Gulf. The water and sediment samples were analyzed by utilizing the spectrofluorometry technique. The results of the present research obviously indicated a degree of oil pollution, however, still lower in magnitude when compared with status in some other regional sites. The obtained levels of petroleum hydrocarbons in water was ranged from (3.09 µg/l) at station 7 to (30.87 µg/l) at station 9 while in sediment ranged from (19.43 µg/g) dry weight at station 4 to (49.09 µg/g) dry weight at station 9. In order to give a better evaluation of the petroleum hydrocarbon levels in the sediments, the Total Organic Carbon (TOC) percentage and grain size analyses were done by granulometry technique on selected slips of the bulk sediments obtained for this purpose. The mean percent TOC estimations ranged from 0.1 at Station 4 to 1.34 at Station 9. The mean values obtained in this study indicated that the petroleum hydrocarbon levels in the sediment samples are lower than the levels in sediment samples obtained with similar methodology and analyses in some of the Gulf States and countries in close vicinity of the region. The major pollution sources may involve tanker and boat discharges and activities, municipal sewage and rural runoff from land. Also, discharges and effluents from oil refineries, electricity generating station and industrial activities into the Basrah city are obvious.

REVITALIZING GROUNDWATER AND HYDROCARBON IMPACTED SOIL USING INSITU/EXSITU REMEDIATION TECHNIQUES IN OMKPOBU, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

With all the numerous spills all across Niger Delta ranging from various sources it become imperative for the remediation of the impacted areas. Remediation is means or a process by which an impacted area contaminated by crude oil is restored. Bioremediation could be view from two perspectives which includes Insitu and Exsitu strategies. Both strategies are primarily aimed at removing the contaminants from soil and ground water. While the Insitu strategy address contamination issues in the subsurface the Exsitu strategy address contamination at the surface. Typical examples of the insitu strategies includes Biosparging, Bioventing while that exsitu includes the deployment of landfarming strategies and Biopiling. This research deployed both insitu and exsitu remediation strategy. Specifically, Landfarming as an exsitu remediation techniques was used to address the soil component of the research work. While biosparging remediation strategy was deployed to address contamination within the groundwater. Biosparging and land farming techniques have shown that remediation, especially in terms of groundwater, can be done faster when there are used together. The Exhumed impacted soil was made to undergo steps associated with landfarming techniques. Contaminated soil were exhumed and spread over a prepared bed area for aeration or oxygenation. The spread soil was frequently tilled before there were used to construct windrows to aid the aeration process. The total petroleum hydrocarbons of land farmed soil were drastically reduced before they were returned. These is in line with the view of International Centre for Soil and Contaminated Sites (2006) that ‘’Effective remediation through landfarming will increase microbial activities that will eventually address contamination on soil. Similarly, the impacted ground water also felt the impact of this action and with addition of the sparging operations there were also reduction in the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon level in the groundwater over the period of the project. The operations of biosparging do not only influence the reduction of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) in the groundwater but also other contaminants of concerns such as benzene.

Impact of oil spillage on the levels of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons in millipede and soil from Ikot Ada Udo, Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria.

Impact of oil spillage on the levels of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons in millipede and soil from Ikot Ada Udo, Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria.

Impact of oil spillage on the levels of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons in millipede and soil from Ikot Ada Udo, Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria

Impact of oil spillage on the levels of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons in millipede and soil from Ikot Ada Udo, Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria

Imprints of COVID-19 lockdowns on total petroleum hydrocarbon levels in Asia's largest brackish water lagoon

India successfully executed one of the strictest lockdowns in the world during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, which provided unique opportunities to analyze the second-largest populous country's anthropogenic footprint on its natural systems. India's first Ramsar site and the world's second-largest brackish water system Chilika lagoon experienced a substantial decline (64%) in the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPHC) level in water, which was attributed to the massive declines or, at times, an abrupt complete halt of motorized boat operations for fishing and tourism. Using the TPHC values during the lockdown period, our study recommends a TPHC baseline threshold of 2.02 μg L−1 and 0.91 μg g−1 for Chilika waters and sediment, respectively. These baseline values can be used to quantify oil pollution and to formulate policy and management action plans for Chilika lagoon as well as for other similar ecosystems by local environmental agencies.

Evaluation of the Total Dispersion and Distribution of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Aya Stream, Located in Niger Delta: Implications on the Quality and Health of Aya Water Stream

Globally, oil spills are known catastrophic events with harmful consequences that tend to endanger plant, animal and human life. The dispersion and distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons levels were investigated to evaluate its effect on the quality and health of Aya stream, located in the Niger Delta sub region, south east Nigeria. Water samples were collected from the stream, which is the most available source of water in Ikot Ada Udo local community, five years after an extensive oil spillage between the months of June and November 2012. These samples were analyzed to assess the level of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and physicochemical enrichment using Spectrophotometric with 1g of Bonny Light and Bonny Medium Crude Oils dissolved in 1000 ml of tetrachloromethane were used as standards as well as insitu measurements of water temperature and dissolved oxygen. TPH concentrations ranged from 0.21mg/l in dry season (September, October, November) to a maximum level of 0.33 mg/l in wet season (June, July, August) during the study. The mean concentrations found for physicochemical parameters during wet and dry seasons respectively were: temperature (27.67±0.29 &amp; 27.83±0.290C), DO (3.47±0.65 &amp; 3.44±0.67 mg/l), Cd (0.03±0.003 &amp; 0.03±0.01mg/l), Pb (0.17±0.06 &amp; 0.18±0.04 mg/l), Ni (0.08±0.01 &amp; 0.08±0.005 mg/l), V (0.02±0.01 &amp; 0.02±0.01 mg/l).The distribution pattern of trace heavy metals in the stream water followed the sequence: Pb&gt;Ni&gt; Cd&gt;V. In all cases, Pb was the most abundant and V the least abundant metal. Elevated levels of some physicochemical parameters shown to correlate significantly (p=0.05) and associate with the oil spill infer that Aya stream has been severely polluted. Statistical analysis (t-test) of seasonal levels of TPH in water samples showed positive relationship (t=0.55, p=0.05). The implication of these results is that the concentrations of the studied parameters did not depend on seasonal influence but were connected with the incessant exposure of the site to oil seeps from the well-head. The high levels of lead above permissible limits in the studied samples poses a health threat, hence, the removal of the well-head and future situation of such structures away from the source of communal water source should be implemented to preserve the quality and health of the water source.

Aged diesel and heavy metal pollution in the Arctic tundra (Yamal Peninsula, Russia)

Monitoring pollution in Arctic regions is a challenging and important task, regardless of the way these lands are used. The summer 2019 expedition to the Yamal Peninsula revealed historic petroleum pollution of the tundra area adjacent to “Yamalsky” natural reserve. Soil, surface water and bottom sediments from a downhill lake, and herbaceous plant Eriophorum scheuchzeri samples were collected to address the origin and the level of the aged pollution, and to investigate, if E. scheuchzeri species could be a potential phytoremediation agent. Compositional GC–MS analysis of the soil organic matter showed that diesel fuel spillage affected the study area and the territories nearby. Weathered diesel compounds penetrated the soil and reached the permafrost layer at 85 cm depth. Petroleum hydrocarbon level peaked at 11% (wt) in the topsoil at the polluted site and 3% (wt) in the bottom sediments of the downhill lake, demonstrating chronic ecosystem exposure. The following ICP-MS analysis showed presence of trace elements (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Ag, Cd, Ba, Pb, Bi, U) in the soil, water, and E. scheuchzeri samples. Observed concentrations of V, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Zn in the soil samples exceeded the background values by 3.6, 2.3, 9.7, 2.9, and 3.0 times, respectively. V (0.4 mg/L) and Cr (0.12 mg/L) levels in the lake water exceeded the established national limits by 40 and 2.4 times, respectively, which demonstrated the possibility of pollution migration with groundwater or surface water. The plant E. scheuchzeri tolerated diesel pollution and stimulated natural attenuation, bioaccumulating Mo, Cd, Ba, and Bi in its tissue from the soil. E. scheuchzeri is proposed for phytoremediation of Arctic soils polluted with petroleum and metals.

PENGARUH PENAMBAHAN BIOCHAR TERHADAP PENURUNAN KADAR TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON (TPH) PADA TANAH TERCEMAR MINYAK BUMI

Hydrocarbons are compounds produced as a result of the activities of the petroleum industry, which can pollute the soil and waters. Due to the amount of waste, biochar from agricultural waste could potentially be used as a soil amendment agent for hydrocarbon contamination. The high lignocellulose in oil palm shells and empty bunches makes them potential raw materials for biochar. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of biochar application on petroleum-contaminated soil to reduce Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) levels. In this study, the dosage of biochar was added to the soil contaminated with petroleum with a variation of 3%, 5%, and 7% (w/w) and control without the addition of biochar. The parameters analyzed were TPH levels by gravimetric method every week for four weeks. The results showed that the addition of biochar had an effect on the degradation of TPH. The greater the dose of biochar used, the higher the percentage of TPH degradation. The highest decrease in TPH levels occurred at the addition of biochar dose by 7%, where the empty shell was 60.65%, and empty bunches was 54.1% which was greater than without the addition of biochar by 32.79%.

Potentiality of Azolla pinnata R. Br. for Phytoremediation of Polluted Freshwater with Crude Petroleum Oil

The pollution of freshwater resources with crude petroleum oil is a major environmental issue in oil-producing countries. As a result, the remediation of polluted aquatic ecosystems using eco-friendly and cost-effective technology is receiving increased global attention. In this study, the ability of Azolla pinnata R. Br. to remediate petroleum-polluted freshwater was assessed. The remediation potentiality was determined by evaluating the total petroleum hydrocarbon degradation percentage (TPH%) and changes in the molecular type composition of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions. TPH% was estimated gravimetrically, and changes in the molecular type composition of saturated and aromatic fractions were measured using gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. The results reveal that A. pinnata has the potential to phytoremediate freshwater polluted with low levels (up to 0.5 g/L) of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs). After seven days of phytoremediation, the degradation rate of total PHs was 92% in the planted treatment compared with 38% in the unplanted positive control. The highest breakdown of PHs for the normal paraffinic saturated hydrocarbon fraction occurred in the presence of A. pinnata combined with Anabena azollaea (A-A), which showed a moderate degradation capacity toward total aromatic hydrocarbons (TAHs) and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results indicate that A. pinnata effectively removed C18, a saturated PH, and acenaphthene (Ace), an aromatic PH. Therefore, this study suggests that A. pinnata is a useful tool for the remediation of freshwaters contaminated with low pollution levels of crude oil.

Effect of Hydrocarbon-Polluted Seawater on the Cell Density of Microalgae Scenedesmus vacuolatus Shihira &amp; Krauss

Study about the effect of hydrocarbon-polluted seawater on the cell density of microalgae Scenedesmus vacuolatus has been done. Hydrocarbon pollution derived from oil in the sea can inhibit photosynthesis process of microalgaes. This might impact the density of microalgae cells. The purposes of this study are to determine the effect of the concentration of hydrocarbon-polluted seawater on the density of Scenedesmus vacuolatus microalgae cells and to determine the optimum treatment to reduce total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) levels. Sampling of hydrocarbon-polluted seawater was taken at Kali Adem port, Jakarta. The treatment done in this research used Walne medium with the addition of 25% hydrocarbon-polluted seawater (A), 50% (B), 75% (C), and 100% (D). Control is Walne medium with sterile seawater that was not from the Kali Adem port. The results showed the highest average density of Scenedesmus vacuolatus cells was in the control sample. This can be seen from the results of the average cell density at peak time of 29.48 x 105 cells / mL, as well as the log phase length of Scenedesmus vacuolatus. Measurement of TPH levels showed decreases of TPH in all treatments. The optimum treatment to reduce TPH levels is on treatment B with reduction percentage of 70.62%. Key words: Kali Adem port, Scenedesmus vacuolatus, total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), Walne medium