A ten channel fibre-optic device for distributed sensing of underground hydrocarbon leakage

With millions of fuel storage tanks and oil pipelines installed around the world, there is inevitably frequent leakage of potentially hazardous hydrocarbons. As many of these installations are below ground, it can often be many years before the extent of the leak is discovered. We have previously reported the development of a sensor for the detection of such subterranean leaks, using infrared reflectometry to interrogate a hydrocarbon sensitive membrane. However, a single sensor cannot provide any information about the flow rate or direction of the leak. This paper describes the extension of the technology to a multi-channel distributed sensing system, using optical fibres capable of distributing the sensors over large subterranean areas. Results are reported from the evaluation of the device, which consisted of monitoring the movement of different hydrocarbons (gasoline, diesel and insulating oil) through a vertical sand-filled vessel.     

Reduction and avoidance of lubricant mist demands an integrated assessment approach

A case study to identify major factors for lubricant mist exposure covered 15 metal machining sites. The investigation included milling, turning, drilling and grinding applications. Systematic analysis considered all relevant data concerning the machine tool, the lubricant and the suction plant. The efficiency of the implemented maintenance program at the installed filter systems was checked by concentration measurements immediately before and after service. All performed measurements of lubricant aerosol and vapor loads upstream and downstream of the installed filter systems were carried out according to VDI 2066 and BIA 3110, respectively. The selection criteria for the sites to be investigated, the systematic nature of the data acquisition and the procedure of the analysis are demonstrated in detail by performing comparisons between selected applications using emulsions and those employing straight oil for lubrication. The results of the study identify recirculation of ventilated air as the major source of workplace exposure to airborne lubricant emissions. More than 60% of the demisters investigated emit air at total lubricant loads (aerosols and vapor) above the limit of 20 mg m-3 at any time of operation; which also means immediately after service. A common reason for exceeded aerosol loads in recirculated air is e.g. the fact that the type of filter system applied is often not suitable for the separation problem. Loads of lubricant vapor are usually higher at the processes which use water emulsions as lubricant. In a quarter of the cases the limits were exceeded solely due to high vapor loads even immediately after service. The exposure can be reduced by replacing the lubricant, installation of a vapor separation plant or avoiding air recirculation. Maintenance time of the demisting system and aerosol separation efficiency of state-of-the-art demisting systems can be expanded by implementation of enhanced preliminary filter stages. This study confirms that appropriate service measures lower both aerosol emissions and lubricant vapor concentrations due to the reduction of exposed oil-wetted surfaces. The performed measurements show no significant relationship between loads of airborne lubricants and the type of machining process. Therefore, investigations at a much more detailed level have to be performed. However, the individual assessment of any workplace due to the complex situation remains essential.     

环境中总石油烃的气相色谱分析测定

将总石油烃划分为挥发性汽油类(C6～C10)、可萃取柴油和重油类(C10～C40)两部分,分别建立了通过吹扫捕集、液液萃取和超声溶剂萃取分离富集,气相色谱-火焰离子化检测器(GC-FID)测定环境水体和土壤中总石油烃的分析方法。以汽油、柴油、润滑油标准溶液进行外标校正,以色谱出峰总面积进行定量。汽油类(C6～C10)的检出限分别为0.04mg/L和0.42mg/kg,柴油和重油类(C10～C40)的检出限分别为0.06mg/L和4.9mg/kg。方法的精密度和准确度均良好。     

Assesment of Trace Elements and Organic Pollutants from a Marine Oil Complex into the Coral Reef System of Cayo Arcas, Mexico

Possible contaminants produced by the Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) marine oil complex in the vicinity of the Cayo Arcas (Mexico) coral reef ecosystem were evaluated by analyzing sediments and sea water for hydrocarbons and metal elements. We found that the concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons in the sea water were generally low, with the highest values detected near the oil station; the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was generally below the detection limit. The hydrocarbons found in the sediments seem to have a pyrogenic origin, and were probably produced by marine traffic in the study area. The total PAH concentration did not exceed the NOAA criteria, although levels of some individual PAHs did. The only metal detected in the sea water at high concentrations was nickel. The Ni/V ratio in the sediments indicates the contribution of crude oil to the system. The high content of Ni and Zn was attributed to the ballast waters from the oil tankers that load at the station's monobuoys. The presence of fine sediments that commonly originate from terrestrial ecosystems supported this assumption.     

UV Spectroscopic Monitoring of Vaporized Monoaromatic Hydrocarbons from Petroleum-Contaminated Soils

Fast and simple systems using ultraviolet (UV) absorbance were examined for on-line monitoring of monoaromatic hydrocarbons from petroleum-contaminated soils in this research. Since soil particles hinder the UV light transmittance, the absorbance measurement of vaporized monoaromatic hydrocarbons in soil gas extracted from petroleum-contaminated soils was proposed. In the fixed system that exhibited higher sensitivity than the portable one, the absorbance intensity of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene increased in proportion to the concentration of the contaminants. The portable system, however, was suitable for screening purpose, while it exhibited faster response. There was no interference from water, which helps the applicability of the proposed systems to the actual fields.     

Characteristics of petroleum hydrocarbons in surficial sediments from the Songhuajiang River (China): spatial and temporal trends

This paper presents the spatial and temporal characteristics of petroleum hydrocarbons (PH) in surficial sediments from the Songhuajiang River using the method of petroleum chemical fingerprinting. Twenty-four surface sediment samples were collected at 17 sites along the river from upstream to downstream in flood season (August 2005) and icebound season (December 2005) and were analyzed for PH including n-alkanes (C(16)-C(33)), isoprenoid alkanes (pristane and phytane), and unresolved complex mixture (UCM). The concentration of PH varied from 22.64 to 91.45 μg g(?-1) dry sediment. n-alkanes with a carbon number from 16 to 33 were detected in all samples, and the UCM was the dominant composition for PH. The variability of the PH concentration was mostly influenced by external conditions, such as seasonal change and industrial area position, as well as internal sediment physicochemical properties, such as organic carbon and grain size. The concentration of hydrocarbons is higher in flood season than in icebound season and is higher upstream than downstream. The diagnostic ratios of specific hydrocarbons showed that the PH pollution comes from a combination of biogenic and petrogenic sources, and petrogenic input is dominant in icebound season relative to flood season. It also indicates that there is a clear terrigenous input of n-alkanes in flood season. Principal components analysis was used to study the composition and characteristics of PH in Songhuajiang River sediments and to assess the spatial and temporal distribution of their natural and anthropogenic sources.     

Climate dynamics and extreme precipitation and flood events in Central Europe

Past changes and possible future variations in the nature of extreme precipitation and flood events in Central Europe and the Alpine region are examined from a physical standpoint. An overview is given of the following key contributory physical processes: (1) the variability of the large-scale atmospheric flow and the associated changes of the North-Atlantic storm track; (2) the feedback process between climate warming and the water cycle, and in particular the potential for more frequent heavy precipitation events; and (3) the catchment-scale hydrological processes associated with variations in major river flooding events and that are related to land-use changes, river training measures, and shifts in the proportion of rain to snowfall. In this context an account is provided of the possible future forecasting and warning methodologies based upon high-resolution weather prediction and runoff models. Also consideration is given to the detectability of past (future) changes in observed (modeled) extreme events. It is shown that their rarity and natural fluctuation largely impedes a detection of systematic variations. These effects restrict trend analysis of such events to return periods of below a few months. An illustration using daily precipitation from the Swiss Alps does yield evidence for pronounced trends of intense precipitation events (return period 30 days), while trends of stronger event classes are not detectable (but nevertheless can not be excluded). The small detection probability for extreme events limits possible mitigation of future damage costs through an abatement of climate change alone, and points to the desirability of developing improved early forecasting/warning systems as an additional no-regret strategy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A source study of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Shenzhen, South China

Air pollution has become a serious problem in the Pearl River Delta, South China, particularly in winter due to the local micrometeorology. In this study, atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were monitored weekly in Shenzhen during the winter of 2006. Results indicated that the detected PAHs were mainly of vapor phase compounds with phenanthrene dominant. The average vapor phase and particle phase PAHs concentration in Shenzhen was 101.3 and 26.7 ng m^???3, respectively. Meteorological conditions showed great effect on PAH concentrations. The higher PAHs concentrations observed during haze episode might result from the accumulation of pollutants under decreased boundary layer, slower wind speed, and long-term dryness conditions. The sources of PAHs in the air were estimated by principal component analysis in combination with diagnostic ratios. Vehicle exhaust was the major PAHs source in Shenzhen, accounting for 50.0% of the total PAHs emissions, whereas coal combustion and solid waste incineration contributed to 29.4% and 20.6% of the total PAHs concentration, respectively. The results clearly indicated that the increasing solid waste incinerators have become a new important PAHs source in this region.     

南通市夏季VOCs污染特征与来源研究

运用大气挥发性有机物(VOCs)快速在线连续自动监测系统,于2018年7月对南通市区环境空气中VOCs进行观测,分析VOCs的浓度状况、组成特征、对臭氧生成潜势的贡献及主要来源。结果表明:观测期间共检出100种VOCs,总挥发性有机物(TVOCs)的平均体积分数为(38. 18±23. 63)×10^-9,各物种体积分数从大到小顺序依次为烷烃>含氧有机物>芳香烃>卤代烃>烯、炔烃;芳烃和烯烃是最主要的活性物种,间/对二甲苯、甲苯、邻二甲苯等是VOCs的关键活性组分;利用PMF模型解析得到VOCs的主要污染来源是工业排放与溶剂使用、机动车尾气排放、燃料挥发排放和生物源排放。     

A novel sensor for monitoring leakage of petroleum and other liquid hydrocarbons into soil environments

This paper describes the use of a potentially implantable infrared reflectometer for the qualitative detection of petroleum and a number of other hydrocarbon solvents. A rugged, low-power, re-useable sensor was evaluated in the laboratory for its ability to detect petrol in soil. A hydrophobic fluoropolymer was used as the sensing surface due to its high selectivity for petroleum hydrocarbons. The photocurrent reflected by this surface from a near IR source was measured to test for petroleum saturation within the membrane, which in turn was an indicator of petroleum in the surrounding soil. The simplicity in the sensor design enabled a stable, low cost detection method for petroleum and other hydrocarbons, ideal for use in sub-surface applications.     

液液萃取-气相色谱法测定水质可萃取性石油烃C10~C40

建立了以环己烷为萃取剂、气相色谱法(氢火焰离子化检测器,FID)测定水质样品中可萃取性石油烃(C_(10)～C_(40))的分析方法。以正构烷烃混合标准溶液为定性和定量校准标准,以色谱峰面积总和与混合标准溶液总浓度建立校准曲线进行外标法定量。方法检出限为0.01 mg/L,经验证方法精密度和准确度良好。同时,分别以气相色谱法和红外光度法测定了地表水、污水处理厂出水、海水和化工废水等实际样品,对比实验结果表明,在可萃取性石油烃C_(10)～C_(40)的碳数范围内,气相色谱法的测试结果与红外光度法无明显差异,有较好的可比性。     

A two-column method for long-term monitoring of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (o-VOCs)

A method has been developed for concurrent analysis of C2-C7 hydrocarbons and C2-C5 oxygenated volatile organic compounds (o-VOCs) including alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and ethers. A multi-bed, Peltier-cooled adsorbent trap, consisting of Carboxen 1000 and Carbopack B, was used to acquire one sample per hour. Upon injection the sample was split in an approximately 50:50 ratio between a 50 m aluminium oxide (Al2O3) porous layer open tubular (PLOT) column and a 10 m LOWOX column. Eluents from each column were then analysed using flame ionisation detection (FID). Regular calibration of the system was performed using a standard cylinder mixture at the parts per billion by volume (ppbV) level for non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and a permeation tube method for the oxygenated species. The system is fully automated with NMHC detection limits between 1 and 10 parts per trillion by volume (pptV) and o-VOC detection limits between 10 and 40 pptV.     

吹扫捕集气相色谱质谱法测定土壤中挥发性有机物

建立了吹扫捕集气相色谱质谱法同时测定土壤中卤代烃类、苯系物类、氯代苯类等二十多种挥发性有机物.使用模拟土壤和实际土壤样品优化了吹扫时间、吹扫温度等参数;采用内标法绘制了校正曲线,各目标化合物5个浓度水平的响应因子的相对标准偏差均小于20%,相关系数均大于0.999;测定了方法检出限,采用2g土壤,各目标化合物方法检出限界于0.02～1.00μg/kg;对两种总有机碳含量的实际土壤样品进行了加标回收实验,回收率范围64%～123%.     

Development of perfluorocarbon tracer technology for underground leak location

A method has been developed for the atmospheric sampling and analysis of four perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) compounds simultaneously at the parts per trillion (ppt) level. PFTs were pre-concentrated using adsorbent tube air sampling. Analysis was achieved by thermal desorption (TD) and gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection (ECD). Efficient separation of the PFTs from the other sample constituents was achieved by use of a capillary porous layer open tubular (PLOT) GC column without the need to cool the GC oven to sub-ambient temperatures using liquid coolants (M. de Bortoli and E. Pecchio, J. High Resolut. Chromatogr., 1985, 8, 422) or for a catalytic destruction step to remove interferents (T. W. D'Ottavio, R. W. Goodrich and R. N. Dietz, Environ. Sci. Technol., 1986, 20, 100). Results from test field trials with two volatile PFTs that were buried to simulate an underground leaking cable were successful. The PFTs were detected above ground level to pinpoint the leak position. The highest tracer concentrations were detected within 1 m of the simulated leak positions 2 days after tracer burial. The developed technology was applied to an oil leaking high voltage electricity cable. One PFT was added to the cable oil which enabled detection of the oil leak to within 3 m. The reported method has many advantages over currently used leak detection methods and could, in the future, be applied to the detection of underground leaks in a variety of cables and pipes.     

Relative Phytoplankton growth responses to physically and chemically dispersed South Louisiana sweet crude oil

We conducted controlled laboratory exposure experiments to assess the toxic effects of water-accommodated fractions (WAFs) of South Louisiana sweet crude oil on five phytoplankton species isolated from the Gulf of Mexico. Experiments were conducted with individual and combinations of the five phytoplankton species to determine growth inhibitions to eight total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) equivalent concentrations ranging from 461 to 7,205 ppb. The composition and concentration of crude oil were altered by physical and chemical processes and used to help evaluate crude oil toxicity. The impact of crude oil exposure on phytoplankton growth varied with the concentration of crude oil, species of microalgae, and their community composition. At a concentration of TPH <?1,200 ppb, dinoflagellate species showed significantly better tolerance, while diatom species showed a higher tolerance to crude oil at higher concentrations of TPH. For both groups, the larger species were more tolerant to crude oil than smaller ones. The toxicity potential of crude oil seems to be strongly influenced by the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The addition of the dispersant, Corexit® EC9500A, increased the amount of crude oil up to 50-fold in the water column, while the physical enhancement (vigorous mixing of water column) did not significantly increase the amount of TPH concentration in the water column. The species response to crude oil was also examined in the five-species community. Each phytoplankton species showed considerably less tolerance to crude oil in the five-species community compared to their individual responses. This study provides baseline information about individual phytoplankton responses to crude oil and dispersed crude oil for subsequent research efforts seeking to understand the impacts of oil on the phytoplankton in the bigger picture.     

Characterization of Infiltration Rates from Landfills: Supporting Groundwater Modeling Efforts

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature to characterize infiltration rates from landfill liners to support groundwater modeling efforts. The focus of this investigation was on collecting studies that describe the performance of liners 'as installed' or 'as operated'. This document reviews the state of the science and practice on the infiltration rate through compacted clay liner (CCL) for 149 sites and geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) for 1 site. In addition, it reviews the leakage rate through geomembrane (GM) liners and composite liners for 259 sites. For compacted clay liners (CCL), there was limited information on infiltration rates (i.e., only 9 sites reported infiltration rates.), thus, it was difficult to develop a national distribution. The field hydraulic conductivities for natural clay liners range from 1 x 10(-9) cm s(-1) to 1 x 10(-4) cm s(-1), with an average of 6.5 x 10(-8) cm s(-1). There was limited information on geosynthetic clay liner. For composite lined and geomembrane systems, the leak detection system flow rates were utilized. The average monthly flow rate for composite liners ranged from 0-32 lphd for geomembrane and GCL systems to 0 to 1410 lphd for geomembrane and CCL systems. The increased infiltration for the geomembrane and CCL system may be attributed to consolidation water from the clay.     

Evaluation of electrochemical processes for the removal of several target aromatic hydrocarbons from petroleum contaminated water

Ground and surface water contamination resulting from the leakage of crude oil and refined petroleum products is a serious and growing environmental problem throughout the world. Consequently, a study of the use of electrochemical treatment in the clean-up was undertaken with the aim of reducing the water contamination by aromatic pollutants to more acceptable levels. In the experiments described, water contamination by refined petroleum products was simulated under laboratory conditions. Electrochemical treatment, using aluminium electrodes, has been optimised by full factorial design and surface response analysis in term of BTEX and PAHs removal and energy consumption. The optimal conditions of pH, current density, electrolysis time, electrolyte type, and electrolyte concentration have then been applied in the treatment of real water samples which were monitored as petroleum contaminated samples. Treatment results have shown that electrochemical methods could achieve the concentration of these pollutants to undetectable levels in particular groundwater and surface water, hence, they can be highly effective in the remediation of water contaminated by aromatic hydrocarbons, and the use of these processes is therefore recommended.     

TPH-contaminated Mexican Refinery Soil: Health Risk Assessment and the First Year of Changes

The soil of a coastal Mexican refinery is quite contaminated, especially by hydrocarbons, with detected concentrations up to 130000 mg kg(-1) as TPHs (total petroleum hydrocarbons). The main sources of contamination are pipelines, valves, and old storage tanks, besides the land disposal of untreated hydrocarbon sediments derived from the cleaning of storage tanks. A health risk assessment (HRA) was carried out in order to measure the risk hazard indexes and clean-up standards for the refinery soil. HRA suggested the following actions to be taken: benzene concentrations must be reduced in eight of the 16 studied refinery zones to 0.0074-0.0078 mg kg(-1). Also, vanadium concentration must be reduced in two zones up to a concentration of 100 mg kg(-1). In only one of all of the studied zones, benzo(a)pyrene concentration must be reduced to 0.1 mg kg(-1). After 1 yr, TPHs showed a diminution of about 52%. Even though TPHs concentrations were variable, during 1999 the average concentrations were as much as 15.5 times the goal concentration. For year 2000, TPHs concentrations were only 7.4-fold the proposed value. For the 1999-2000 period, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) concentrations decreased by 82%. Some PAHs with 2, 3, 4, and 5 aromatic rings were removed up to 100% values.     

Stabilities of 58 volatile organic compounds in fused-silica-lined and SUMMA polished canisters under various humidified conditions

Fused-silica-lined (FSL) canisters and SUMMA polished (SUMMA) canisters were compared for the recoveries and the stabilities of 58 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at low ppbv (volume/volume) levels under various humidified conditions using a three-stage preconcentration method followed by GC-MS analysis. The target VOCs included non-polar VOCs (e.g. halogenated hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons) and polar VOCs (e.g. alcohols, ketones, esters, ethers, nitriles and thiols). The three-stage preconcentration method was initially optimized for simultaneous analysis of non-polar and polar VOCs because determination of canister stability is dependent on the accuracy of analytical measurements. The method showed good linearity over the concentration range from 1 to 25 ppbv for all target analytes, and the correlation coefficients were higher than 0.9974. The method detection limits ranged from 0.023 to 0.39 ppbv. The test mixtures loaded in both type of canisters (n = 3) had concentrations of 1.7-2.5 ppbv per compound at ambient pressure under various humidified conditions (%RH = 1.6, 8.0, 27, 39, 53 and >99% with excess water present). All canister samples were initially analyzed on day 0 (after 6-12 h). The effect of competitive adsorption of water vapor and polar VOCs on active sites of interior surface was remarkably observed for SUMMA canisters. Polar VOCs had a greater requirement for water vapor to be present. The RH percentages that ensured good recovery on day 0 were RH > 8% for non-polar VOCs and RH > 27% for polar VOCs (except alcohols under the condition of RH > 99%). All thiols were not recovered from SUMMA canisters under all conditions. FSL canisters showed good recoveries of more than 86% for all VOCs under all conditions on day 0 (except alcohols under the condition of RH > 99%). The recoveries of alcohols in both canisters under the condition of RH > 99% displayed relatively low recoveries in the range 25-76% because of the partitioning effect into condensed water. The canister samples under the conditions of RH 8.0, 27, 53 and > 99% were analyzed for the stability test on days 3, 7, 14 and 28 after loading. All non-polar VOCs were reasonably stable in the FSL canisters under all examined conditions over 28 days. However, several polar VOCs that have relatively lower vapor pressure, e.g. MIBK, butyl acetate and alcohols except ethanol, showed unstable characteristics under relatively dry conditions (RH 8 and 27%) during 28 days. RH > 53% was needed to ensure good stabilities of all analytes except thiols with the recoveries of > 80% over 28 days for both canisters. Although the FSL canister showed good recoveries of more than 86% for thiols on day 0, drastic degradations were observed after day 3 and they were not detected after day 14.