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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils around oil refineries; Case study: Erbil and Kirkuk refineries, Iraq- A modelling approach

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Abstract

Purpose

Political tensions in Iraq have made attention to environmental issues not a priority for the authorities. Therefore, the influence of Kirkuk and Erbil refineries on contamination of the surrounding soil by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were studied.

Methods

25 soil samples were collected and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and their fate and health risk were investigated using Exposure Model for Soil-Organic Fate and Transport (EMSOFT) and the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) model.

Results

High ∑PAHs contamination (raged from 212.8 to 12,790.4 ppb), the dominance of pyrogenic sources, and high ecological risk were observed. The mean hazard index values for children (0.043) are higher than those for adults (0.02), while the incremental lifetime carcinogenic risk values for adults (8.50E-4) are greater than those for children (5.27E-4). Pyrene is the significant soil PAH from the depth of 3 cm downwards, while phenanthrene and fluorene are the major constituents of PAHs between the depth of 3 and 10 cm. Also, low molecular weight PAHs significantly decrease in soil layers over the time frame, and maximum PAHs concentrations belong to high molecular weight PAHs over 20 years.

Conclusion

Using an appropriate monitoring system, as well as sound management decisions to reduce the emission of environmental pollution are needed. Also, it seems that the use of constant values for soil physicochemical parameters such as moisture and porosity, despite seasonal variations, may result in uncertainty for fate and transport modelling. Therefore, seasonal sampling and analysis of soil parameters, would be helpful.

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to state their thankfulness to the Scientific Research Center of Soran University for making this research possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, 71454, Iran

    Mohammad Javad Nematollahi

  2. Department of Applied Geology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, 15614, Iran

    Meisam Rastegari Mehr & Ata Shakeri

  3. Water Research Center, Kharazmi University, Tehran, 15614, Iran

    Meisam Rastegari Mehr & Ata Shakeri

  4. Department of Petroleum Geoscience, Faculty of Science, Soran University, Soran, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Keyvan Amjadian & Mohammad Pirouei

  5. Scientific Research Center, Soran University, Soran, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Keyvan Amjadian & Mohammad Pirouei

  6. Department of Earth, Environmental and Resources Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy

    Pooria Ebrahimi

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  1. Mohammad Javad Nematollahi
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Nematollahi, M.J., Rastegari Mehr, M., Shakeri, A. et al. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils around oil refineries; Case study: Erbil and Kirkuk refineries, Iraq- A modelling approach. J Environ Health Sci Engineer 20, 699–716 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-022-00809-y

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