Abstract
Many pollution sources are difficult to identify because pollutants are transported far away into complex environments. In particular, the mechanisms of petroleum migration in sediments are poorly known. Here, we studied two sediments from the circuit of a heating plant and three sediments located at 100, 200 and 300 m away from the plant. Saturated hydrocarbons were isolated and group composition was determined by column chromatography. n-Alkanes, terpanes and steranes were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results show that the amount of short n-alkanes increases during migration, which indicates the migration mechanism. Results on steranes reveal a geochromatographic migration of the oil, where the fastest eluting stereoisomers display the longest migration path. Changes in the distribution of biological markers are explained by migration in water.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Antić M, Jovančićević B, Ilić M, Vrvić MM, Schwarzbauer J (2006) Petroleum pollutant degradation by surface water microorganisms. Environ Sci Pollut Res 13:320–327. https://doi.org/10.1065/espr2006.03.296
Bryselbout C, Henner P, Lichtfouse E (1998) Fossil fuel biomarkers in plant waxes as pollutionparameters. Sci Total Environ 222:201–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(98)00297-6
Bryselbout C, Henner P, Carsignol J, Lichtfouse E (2000) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in highway plants and soils. Evidence for a local distillation effect. Analusis 28:290–293. https://doi.org/10.1051/analusis:2000280290
Golovko A, Ivanov V (1999) Changes in triarene composition on the oil filtration through various minerals. In: Abstracts of 19th international meeting on organic geochemistry, TÜBITAK, Istanbul, pp 585–586
Ilić M, Antić M, Antić V, Schwarzbauer J, Vrvić M, Jovančićević B (2011) Investigation of bioremediation potential of zymogenous bacteria and fungi for crude oil degradation. Environ Chem Lett 9:133–140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-009-0257-3
Jovančićević B, Lj T, Vujasinović S, Matić I, Malović D, Pfendt P (1996) A contribution to the elucidation of oil migration mechanisms through water-wet sediments: crushed rock environment as example. J Serb Chem Soc 61:1023–1031
Jovančićević B, Lj T, Wehner H, Faber E, Šušić N, Polić P (1997) Identification of oil-type pollution in recent sediments. Fresen Environ Bull 6:667–673
Jovančićević B, Lj T, Wehner H, Marković D, Polić P (1998) n-Alkane distribution as a tool in the identification of organic type pollution in river sediments. Fresen Environ Bull 7:320–326
Jovančićević B, Polić P, Vrvić M, Sheeder G, Teschner T, Wehner H (2003) Transformations of n-alkanes from petroleum pollutants in alluvial ground waters. Environ Chem Lett 1:73–81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-002-0002-7
Jovančićević B, Vrvić M, Schwarzbauer J, Wehner H, Scheeder G, Vitorović D (2007) Organic-geochemical differentiation of petroleum-type pollutants and study of their fate in Danube alluvial sediments and corresponding waters (Pančevo Oil Refinery, Serbia). Water Air Soil Poll 183:225–238. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9371-7
Krooss BM, Brothers L, Engel MH (1991) Geochromatography in petroleum migration: a review. Geol Soc Lond Spec Publ 59(1):149–163
Lichtfouse E, Eglinton TI (1995) 13C and 14C evidence of pollution of a soil by fossil fuel and reconstruction of the composition of the pollutant. Org Geochem 23:969–973. https://doi.org/10.1016/0146-6380(95)00082-8
Lichtfouse E, Albrecht P, Behar F, Hayes JM (1994) A molecular and isotopic study of the organic matter from the Paris Basin, France. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 58:209–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(94)90458-8
Lichtfouse E, Bardoux G, Mariotti A, Balesdent J, Ballentine DC, Macko SA (1997) Molecular, 13C, and14C evidence for theallochthonous and ancient origin of C16–C18n-alkanes in modern soils. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 61:1891–1898. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7037(97)00021-5
Milićević Z, Marinović D, Gajica G, Kašanin-Grubin M, Jovanović V, Jovančićević B (2017) Organic geochemical approach in the identification of oil-type pollutants in water and sediment of the river Ibar. J Serb Chem Soc 82:593–605. https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC161129022M
Payet C, Bryselbout C, Morel J-L, Lichtfouse E (1999) Fossil fuel biomarkers in sewage sludges: environmental significance. Naturwissenschaften 86:484–488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001140050659
Peters KE, Walters JM, Moldowan JM (2005) The biomarker guide: biomarkers and isotopes in the petroleum exploration and earth history, vol 2. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 608–640
Samelak I, Balaban M, Vidović N, Koljančić N, Antić M, Šolević Knudsen T, Jovančićević B (2018) The application of alkane biological markers in the assessment of the origin of oil pollutants in the soil and recent river sediments (river Vrbas, Bosnia and Herzegovina). J Serb Chem Soc 83:1167–1175. https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC180501061S
Schwarzbauer J, Jovančićević B (2015) Fundamentals in organic geochemistry—fossil matter in the geosphere. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 19–112
Schwarzbauer J, Jovančićević B (2018) Fundamentals in organic geochemistry—organic pollutants in the geosphere. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 157–168
Seifert WK, Moldowan JM (1978) Applications of steranes, terpanes and monoaromatics to the maturation, migration and source of crude oils. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 42:77–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(78)90219-3
Seifert WK, Moldowan JM (1981) Paleoreconstruction by biological markers. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 45:783–794. https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(81)90108-3
Skaare BB, Schaanning M, Mørkved PT (2009) Source identification for oil-based drill cuttings on the seabed based on stable carbon isotopes. Environ Chem Lett 7:183–189. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-008-0165-y
Šolević T, Jovančićević B, Vrvić M, Antić M, Ilić M, Novaković M (2011) Investigation of the bioremediation potential of the soil aerobic zymogenous microorganisms in crude oil biodegradation. J Serb Chem Soc 76:425–438. https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC100531033S
Srogi K (2007) Monitoring of environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a review. Environ Chem Lett 5:169–195. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-007-0095-0
Tissot BP, Welte DH (1984) Petroleum formation and occurrence, vol 2. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 69–130
Acknowledgements
The samples 2a–2c were taken in the protected area “University city” with the permission of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of the Republic of Srpska and University of Banja Luka, Genetic Resources Institute. The study was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (Project 176006), and by the Ministry for Scientific and Technological Development, Higher Education and Information Society of the Republic of Srpska.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Samelak, I., Balaban, M., Antić, M. et al. Geochromatographic migration of oil pollution from a heating plant to river sediments. Environ Chem Lett 18, 459–466 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-019-00937-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-019-00937-2