Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

, Volume 133, Issue 1–3, pp 387–398 | Cite as

Sub-soil contamination due to oil spills in zones surrounding oil pipeline-pump stations and oil pipeline right-of-ways in Southwest-Mexico

  • Rosario Iturbe
  • Carlos Flores
  • Alejandrina Castro
  • Luis G. Torres
Article
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Accepted:

Abstract

Oil spills due to oil pipelines is a very frequent problem in Mexico. Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), very concerned with the environmental agenda, has been developing inspection and correction plans for zones around oil pipelines pumping stations and pipeline right-of-way. These stations are located at regular intervals of kilometres along the pipelines. In this study, two sections of an oil pipeline and two pipeline pumping stations zones are characterized in terms of the presence of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The study comprehends sampling of the areas, delimitation of contamination in the vertical and horizontal extension, analysis of the sampled soils regarding TPHs content and, in some cases, the 16 PAHs considered as priority by USEPA, calculation of areas and volumes contaminated (according to Mexican legislation, specifically NOM-EM-138-ECOL-2002) and, finally, a proposal for the best remediation techniques suitable for the contamination levels and the localization of contaminants.

Keywords

PAHs Pipelines Pumping stations Soil contamination TPHs 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Rosario Iturbe
    • 1
  • Carlos Flores
    • 1
  • Alejandrina Castro
    • 1
  • Luis G. Torres
    • 1
  1. 1.Grupo Saneamiento de Suelos y Acuiferos: Coordinacion de Ingenieria Ambiental. Instituto de IngenieríaUniversidad Nacional Autonoma de MexicoMexico CityMexico

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