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Evaluation of PAH contamination in soil treated with solid by-products from shale pyrolysis

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Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils to which solid shale materials (SSMs) were added as soil conditioners. The SSMs were derived from the Petrosix® pyrolysis process developed by Petrobras (Brazil). An improved ultrasonic agitation method was used to extract the PAHs from the solid samples (soils amended with SSMs), and the concentrations of the compounds were determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The procedure provided satisfactory recoveries, detection limits, and quantification limits. The two-, three-, and four-ring PAHs were most prevalent, and the highest concentration was obtained for phenanthrene (978 ± 19 μg kg−1 in a pyrolyzed shale sample). The use of phenanthrene/anthracene and fluoranthene/pyrene ratios revealed that the PAHs were derived from petrogenic rather than pyrogenic sources. The measured PAH concentrations did not exceed national or international limit values, suggesting that the use of SSMs as soil conditioners should not cause environmental damage.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the financial support provided by the following Brazilian research funding agencies: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico (CNPq). We are also indebted to EMBRAPA and Petrobras for providing the samples used in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal Institute of Paraná (IFPR), Câmpus Palmas, PRT 280, Palmas, PR, 85555-000, Brazil

    Jaqueline Nicolini

  2. Department of Chemistry, Centro Politécnico, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Jardim das Américas, Curitiba, PR, 81531-990, Brazil

    Muhammad Y. Khan & Antonio S. Mangrich

  3. Automotive Fuels Analysis Laboratory (LACAUT), Centro Politécnico, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Jardim das Américas, Curitiba, PR, 81531-990, Brazil

    M. Matsui, Lílian C. Côcco & Carlos I. Yamamoto

  4. Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Câmpus Ondina, Salvador, BA, 40170-290, Brazil

    Wilson A. Lopes & Jailson B. de Andrade

  5. National Institute of Science and Technology, Energy and Environment, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, BA, 40170-290, Brazil

    Wilson A. Lopes, Jailson B. de Andrade & Antonio S. Mangrich

  6. EMBRAPA Temperate Climate, Pelotas, RS, 96001-970, Brazil

    Clenio N. Pillon

  7. Department of Chemistry, University of Guadalajara, Blvd. Marcelino García Barragán 1429, Guadalajara, JAL, Mexico

    Gregorio G. Carbajal Arizaga

  8. Chemistry Department of Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, 49100-000, Brazil

    Antonio S. Mangrich

Authors
  1. Jaqueline Nicolini
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  2. Muhammad Y. Khan
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  3. M. Matsui
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  4. Lílian C. Côcco
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  5. Carlos I. Yamamoto
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  6. Wilson A. Lopes
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  7. Jailson B. de Andrade
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  8. Clenio N. Pillon
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  9. Gregorio G. Carbajal Arizaga
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  10. Antonio S. Mangrich
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio S. Mangrich.

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Nicolini, J., Khan, M.Y., Matsui, M. et al. Evaluation of PAH contamination in soil treated with solid by-products from shale pyrolysis. Environ Monit Assess 187, 4123 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4123-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4123-9

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