Characteristics of petroleum-contaminated groundwater during natural attenuation: a case study in northeast China

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 190; no. 2; pp. 80 - 11
• Main Authors: Qian, Hong, Zhang, Yuling, Wang, Jiali, Si, Chaoqun, Chen, Zaixing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.02.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Attenuation; Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Carbonates; Case studies; Catalase; Catechol; Catechol 1,2-dioxygenase; Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase; China; Contamination; Degradation products; Dissolved oxygen; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Electrical conductivity; Electrical resistivity; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Restoration and Remediation; Environmental science; Enzymatic activity; Enzymes; Factor analysis; Groundwater; Groundwater - chemistry; Groundwater pollution; Hydrocarbons; Hydrocarbons - analysis; Hydrogen; Iron; Microbial degradation; Microorganisms; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Natural attenuation; Oxygen; Peroxidase; Petroleum; Petroleum - analysis; Petroleum hydrocarbons; pH effects; Physicochemical processes; Physicochemical properties; Pollutants; Robust control; Sulfates; Water analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water samples; Water sampling; China; Petroleum-contaminated groundwater; Environmental water characteristics; Natural attenuation; Total petroleum hydrocarbon
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-6449-6

The objective of this study was to investigate a petroleum-contaminated groundwater site in northeast China. We determined the physicochemical properties of groundwater that contained total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) with a view to developing a scientifically robust strategy for controlling and remediating pollution of groundwater already contaminated with petroleum. Samples were collected at regular intervals and were analyzed for dissolved oxygen (DO), iron (Fe 3+ ), sulfate (SO 4 2− ), electrical conductivity (Eh), pH, hydrogen carbonate (HCO 3 − ), and enzyme activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (HRP), catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (C12O), and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O). We used factor analysis in SPSS to determine the main environmental characteristics of the groundwater samples. The results confirmed that the study site was slightly contaminated and that TPH levels were decreasing slightly. Some of the physicochemical variables showed regular fluctuations; DO, Fe 3+ , and SO 4 2− contents decreased gradually, while the concentrations of one of the microbial degradation products, HCO 3 − , increased. Microorganism enzyme activities decreased gradually. The microbiological community deteriorated noticeably during the natural attenuation process, so microbiological degradation of pollutants receded gradually. The HCO 3 − content increased and the pH and Eh decreased gradually. The groundwater environment tended to be reducing.