Identification of hydrocarbon sources in contaminated soils of three industrial areas

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2013-04, Vol.450-451, p.13-21
• Main Authors: Riccardi, C., Di Filippo, P., Pomata, D., Di Basilio, M., Spicaglia, S., Buiarelli, F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: alkanes; Alkanes - analysis; environmental assessment; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Extraction and Processing Industry; farms; Italy; naphthalene; Oil spills; parents; petroleum; Petroleum fingerprinting; Petroleum hydrocarbons; Petroleum Pollution - analysis; polluted soils; pollution; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Soil - analysis; Soil - standards; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil pollution; Source identification; tanks
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.01.082

The present paper deals with identification of hydrocarbon sources in contaminated soil of three tank farms located in north, central and south Italy. Parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene through benzo(g,h,i)perylene) and n-alkanes (n-C10 through n-C36) were determined. The study of source assignments was carried out by their distribution patterns, their diagnostic ratios, and determination of less-commonly used markers. The data show anthropogenic and biogenic origin of n-alkanes and petrogenic and pyrolytic sources of PAHs. Multiple sources of hydrocarbons, that were not considered in the preliminary environmental assessments, are identified. The application of a multi-criteria approach allows to locate petroleum pollution sources that affect the study sites. The results demonstrate that the application of a multi-criteria approach for source identification is a key point to assess environmental damage and prove that an accurate study of source identification has to be performed. The suggested methodology is a useful tool to manage contaminated sites and to plan appropriate interventions of clean up. ► Multi-criteria approach is required to characterize hydrocarbon sources in industrial sites. ► The results highlight multiple sources of hydrocarbons in soil samples. ► Both biogenic and anthropogenic hydrocarbons are detected in the three tank farms. ► Proposed methodology should be part integral of the environmental assessment studies.