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The origin of high hydrocarbon groundwater in shallow Triassic aquifer in Northwest Guizhou, China

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Abstract

Original high hydrocarbon groundwater represents a kind of groundwater in which hydrocarbon concentration exceeds 0.05 mg/L. The original high hydrocarbon will significantly reduce the environment capacity of hydrocarbon and lead environmental problems. For the past 5 years, we have carried out for a long-term monitoring of groundwater in shallow Triassic aquifer in Northwest Guizhou, China. We found the concentration of petroleum hydrocarbon was always above 0.05 mg/L. The low-level anthropogenic contamination cannot produce high hydrocarbon groundwater in the area. By using hydrocarbon potential, geochemistry and biomarker characteristic in rocks and shallow groundwater, we carried out a comprehensive study in Dalongjing (DLJ) groundwater system to determine the hydrocarbon source. We found a simplex hydrogeology setting, high-level water–rock–hydrocarbon interaction and obviously original hydrocarbon groundwater in DLJ system. The concentration of petroleum hydrocarbon in shallow aquifer was found to increase with the strong water–rock interaction. Higher hydrocarbon potential was found in the upper of Guanling formation (T2g3) and upper of Yongningzhen formation (T1yn4). Heavily saturated carbon was observed from shallow groundwater, which presented similar distribution to those from rocks, especially from the deeper groundwater. These results indicated that the high concentrations of original hydrocarbon in groundwater could be due to the hydrocarbon release from corrosion and extraction out of strata over time.

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Acknowledgements

This research is financially supported by the project of groundwater environmental impact assessment for annual 600,000 tons polyolefin production chemical plant in Zhijin, Guizhou, China. The authors also want to thank the State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environment Geology and Key Laboratory of Tectonics and Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Education of China University of Geosciences, for technical supports during sample testing. We appreciate Prof. Shukui Zhu for helping the research. We also appreciate Professor Dave Yuan and Doctor Wenwen Chen for discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sate Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Shan Liu, Shihua Qi, Zhaohui Luo, Fangzhi Liu, Yang Ding, Huanfang Huang, Zhihua Chen & Shenggao Cheng

  2. School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Shan Liu, Shihua Qi, Zhaohui Luo, Fangzhi Liu, Yang Ding, Huanfang Huang, Zhihua Chen & Shenggao Cheng

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  1. Shan Liu
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  2. Shihua Qi
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  3. Zhaohui Luo
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  4. Fangzhi Liu
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Correspondence to Shihua Qi.

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Liu, S., Qi, S., Luo, Z. et al. The origin of high hydrocarbon groundwater in shallow Triassic aquifer in Northwest Guizhou, China. Environ Geochem Health 40, 415–433 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-9923-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-9923-8

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