Human health risks of petroleum-contaminated groundwater

BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: The volatile organic compounds Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) are commonly found in petroleum derivatives and, at relatively high levels, can be associated with human health risks. Due to industrial activities, accidental petroleum spills are the main route of soil and groundwater contamination. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the indoor health risks due to tap water consumption contaminated by BTEX. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BTEX indoor exposure can occur through three principal pathways: inhalation, ingestion and dermal absorption. A multiphase and multicomponent model was used to simulate BTEX transport in groundwater. For evaluation of human risks due to the use of contaminated tap water, a mathematical model was elaborated. RESULTS: BTEX concentrations in a drinking well were obtained as a function over time. These concentrations were used to obtain the exposure due to the use of water from the contaminated drinking well. In addition to showing the highest concentration in water, benzene was the compound that remained for a longer period before being completely degraded. For all the evaluated BTEX, oral ingestion was also the main pathway of exposure for adults, whereas the contribution of inhalation and oral exposition in children were seen to be of the same magnitude. The sensitivity analysis of BTEX total dose for adults showed that direct ingestion was the most significant factor, followed by shower time, volume of the shower room, inhalation rate, and shower flow rate. For children, the most significant variable was also direct ingestion, followed by shower time, volume of the shower room, and body weight. DISCUSSION: In the current design situation, there would not be any health risks by the use of BTEX-contaminated water to the general population living in the neighborhood of the petroleum spill. Therefore, no remediation measures in the area of the spill would be necessary. CONCLUSIONS: The present results indicate that the design of a good scenario can perform an accuracy risk assessment. This model can serve as a useful tool for predicting indoor exposure to substances for which no direct data are available, reducing monitoring efforts and observing how different processes affect outcomes. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: These preliminary data allow the establishment of a basis for further investigations focusing on efficiently recovering petroleum from contaminated sites.     

Organically modified low-grade kaolin as a secondary containment material for underground storage tanks

Batch scale reactions were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of modified low-grade kaolin for the treatment of petroleum contaminants. Low-grade kaolin, which has been unvalued as material in the mining process because of its low quality for commercial products, was modified with HDTMA (hexadecyl-trimethylammonium), and its efficiency was compared with that of HDTMA-modified bentonite, which is used as a secondary containment barrier for underground storage tanks. The sorption capacity and hydraulic conductivity of both the HDTMA-modified bentonite and low-grade kaolin were investigated and showed distribution coefficients in the sorption of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene ranging between 45.7 and 583.7 and 57.0 and 525.1, respectively. The hydraulic conductivities were 2.53 × 10⁻⁸ and 5.62 × 10⁻⁸ cm/s for the HDTMA-modified bentonite and low-grade kaolin, respectively. These results suggest that HDTMA-modified low-grade kaolin could be used as a hydraulic barrier against advection migration of petroleum contaminants. Simulation of the one-dimensional transport of benzene through a liner made of either one of the compounds was also performed. These results also showed that HDTMA-modified kaolin more effectively retards the transport of benzene.     

2008~2010年北京城区大气BTEX的浓度水平及其O3 生成潜势

苯、甲苯、乙苯及二甲苯是典型的人为排放有机物,不仅危害人体健康还参与对流层的光化学反应,生成O3和二次有机气溶胶.为认知北京大气中BTEX的浓度水平,评估其O3生成潜势,于2007年12月～2010年11月使用被动采样和化学分析相结合的方法对BTEX和O3浓度进行了连续3 a的同步观测.结果表明,北京城区大气BTEX中甲苯的浓度高达(8.7±3.1)μg·m-3,其次为苯、乙苯和间对二甲苯,浓度分别为(7.1±3.3)、(4.2±1.4)和(3.4±1.5)μg·m-3.BTEX总浓度在春、夏、秋和冬季的平均值分别为(16.8±1.4)、(24.7±2.8)、(25.9±4.9)和(26.8±12.1)μg·m-3,冬季苯的浓度全年最高,而夏季甲苯浓度高于冬季.采用最大增量反应活性方法计算了北京城区大气BTEX夏季O3生成潜势,发现间对二甲苯的贡献最大.北京2008、2009和2010年夏季BTEX的O3生成潜势分别为65.2、60.2和75.7μg·m-3,与O3实际浓度的年际变化趋势一致(同期浓度分别为80.5、65.0和101.9μg·m-3).机动车尾气和溶剂挥发是北京城区大气BTEX的主要来源,冬季苯的浓度可能受取暖燃煤的影响,夏季溶剂挥发对BTEX影响更大,并对O3的生成有一定贡献.     

水体BTEX污染对大型溞和霍普水丝蚓的毒性效应及水环境安全评价

以大型溞(daphnia magna)和霍普水丝蚓(Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri)为受试生物,研究了甲苯、乙苯和二甲苯等苯系物(BTEX)的水生生态毒性效应.结果表明,3种污染物对大型溞和霍普水丝蚓毒性影响呈明显的剂量-效应关系,且毒性作用随暴露时间延长而增加.水体中甲苯、乙苯和二甲苯污染对大型溞的24h EC50分别是172.1、50.1和63.6 mg·L-1,48h EC50分别是136.9、42.9和50.3 mg·L-1;对霍普水丝蚓的24hLC50分别是194.8、71.9和88.0 mg·L-1;48h LC50分别是185.2、46.8和75.6 mg·L-1;96h LC50分别是170.4、38.8和71.9 mg·L-1.根据3种污染物对2种受试生物的毒性试验结果,预测水体中甲苯、乙苯和二甲苯的安全浓度sc分别为13.7、3.9和5.0 mg·L-1,最大允许浓度MPC分别为1.4、0.4和0.5 mg·L-1.     

土壤中苯系物的吹扫捕集-气相色谱-质谱测定方法

采用吹扫捕集-气相色谱-质谱联用(PT-GC-MS)法,研究了污染土壤中苯系物(包括苯、甲苯、乙苯、对间二甲苯、邻二甲苯和异丙苯)的测定方法,优化了吹扫捕集作为北京潮土中苯系物预处理方法的参数. 结果表明,吹扫时间11 min,解吸温度190 ℃和解吸时间0.5 min为最佳的吹扫捕集方法参数. 采用PT-GC-MS法测定土壤中的苯系物的平均加标回收率为99.0%～103.9%,相对标准偏差为10.3%～17.5%(n=7);苯系物的检出限为1.6～2.8 μg/kg,定量限为5.4～9.6 μg/kg. 将研究结果与文献中的苯系物监测质量控制参数进行比较发现,由于采用有机质含量低、砂质壤土质地的北京潮土为研究对象,使该试验的回收率均高于文献中的结果;同时,相对标准偏差和检出限与文献中的结果也存在差异,主要是由于挥发性污染物所赋存的介质及实验仪器操作条件不同所致.      

沈阳地区地表水、浅层地下水及沿岸土壤中苯

对沈阳地区主要地表水(浑河、细河、蒲河、沈抚灌渠)及其沿岸地下水和土壤中苯系物(BTEX)的污染特点和分布特征进行了研究.结果表明:细河和沈抚灌渠地表水中BTEX检出率较高(33%～67%),苯和甲苯是该区域的主要污染物,ρ(苯)和ρ(甲苯)分别为<0.30～24.90和<0.30～354.00 μg/L;地表水检出的BTEX均未超过《生活饮用水卫生标准》(GB5749—2006)的限值(1 510 μg/L). 细河两岸的浅层地下水在一定程度上受到BTEX的污染,苯和甲苯的检出率分别为25%～33%和13%～25%,二甲苯和乙苯检出率较低(0～20%). 彰驿镇19个监测井中有2个浅层地下水监测井中的ρ(苯)超过GB5749—2006限值(10 μg/L),夏季ρ(苯)最大值为236.00 μg/L. 沿岸附近土壤中5种BTEX全部被检出,检出率均高于相应的河水. 研究区包气带土壤层虽具有良好的防污性能,但也具有储存和阻碍BTEX挥发和降解的负面效应,对当地的生态系统和人类健康构成了潜在的威胁.      

顶空-固相微卒取-气相色谱测定水体中痕量苯系物

对测定水体中痕量苯系物的顶空-固相微萃取-气相色谱法的固相微萃取条件进行了对比优化,经过对水体中的7种苯系物对比实验,确定了顶空-固相微萃取-气相色谱法的固相微萃取的最佳实验条件为：选用75μmCAR/PDMS萃取涂层,加入与水质量比为40%的氯化钠,于20℃温度下萃取40min,解析3min。方法检出限为0.12～0.19μg/L,相对标准偏差2.0%～3.9%。依据确定的优化条件,用不同类型的水样对优化后的试验条件进行了验证试验,回收率在96.2%～102.0%之间,表明优化后的试验条件适用于多类型水体中痕量苯系物的分析测定。     

耐低温混菌降解苯系物的特性及菌种鉴定研究

以吉化双苯厂被硝基苯、苯系物（BTEX）污染的土壤为菌源,经过筛选驯化得到一组在低温条件（10℃）下可降解苯系物（BTEX）的混菌。室内研究表明,在10℃,pH=6.8,苯系物（BTEX）总质量浓度200mg·L^-1的条件下,84h后该菌对苯、甲苯、乙苯、二甲苯的降解率依次为93.2%、95.6%、91%、88.4%、对6种质量浓度的苯系物（BTEX）污染物中最难降解的苯进行降解动力学曲线模拟,当苯质量浓度小于17.48mg·L-1时,降解符合一级降解动力学,当苯的质量浓度为17.48～195.30mg·L^-1时,降解符合零级降解动力学、该混菌降解效果稳定、适应环境能力强,经80次传代后仍能保持良好的降解效果,且在6个不同地区含有不同背景组成的地下水中降解效果稳定、应用Biolog细菌自动鉴定系统和16SrDNA序列分析方法对降解率较高的3株菌B2、B4、B6作菌种鉴定,B2为嗜麦芽糖寡养单胞菌（Stenotrophomonas maltophilia）,B4为斑生假单胞菌（Pseudomonas maculicola）,B6为多刺假单胞菌（Pseudomonas spinosa）。     

地下水中BTEX的原位生物修复研究进展

BTEX是苯、甲苯、乙苯和二甲苯的统称,存在于原油和石油产品中,其作为化工原料,广泛应用于农药、塑料及合成纤维等制造业.BTEX已成为地下水中普遍存在的污染物,自然衰减或生物修复工程已成功应用于地下水中BTEX的去除.自然衰减受BTEX污染的地下水具有良好的效果,但相比之下,生物修复工程更快、更有效.综述了在好氧和厌氧条件下,地下水中BTEX原位生物修复过程的微生物降解机制.     

Anaerobic biodegradation of benzene series compounds by mixed cultures based on optional electronic acceptors

A series of batch experiments were performed using mixed bacterial consortia to investigate biodegradation performance of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and three xylene isomers （BTEX） under nitrate, sulfate and ferric iron reducing conditions. The results showed that toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene and o-xylene could be degraded independently by the mixed cultures coupled to nitrate, sulfate and ferric iron reduction. Under ferric iron reducing conditions the biodegradation of benzene and p-xylene could be occurred only in the presence of other alkylbenzenes. Alkylbenzenes can serve as the primary subs＇rates to stimulate the transformation of benzene and p-xylene under anaerobic conditions. Benzene and p-xylene are more toxic than toluene and ethylbenzene, under the three terminal electron acceptors conditions, the degradation rates decreased with toluene 〉 ethylbenzene 〉 m-xylene 〉 o-xylene〉 benzene 〉 p- xylene. Nitrate was a more favorable electron acceptor compared to sulfate and ferric iron. The ratio between sulfate consumed and the loss of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene was 4.44, 4.51, 4.42, 4.32, 4.37 and 4.23, respectively; the ratio between nitrate consumed and the loss of these substrates was 7.53, 6.24, 6.49, 7.28, 7.81, 7.61, respectively; the ratio between the consumption of ferric iron and the loss of toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene was 17.99, 18.04, 18.07, 17.97, respectively.