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Organic-geochemical Differentiation of Petroleum-type Pollutants and Study of Their Fate in Danube Alluvial Sediments and Corresponding Water (Pančevo Oil Refinery, Serbia)

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Abstract

A review is given in this paper of the up-to-date results observed in differentiation and transformation studies on petroleum-type pollutants in underground and surface waters. Water and particulate matter derived from the locality of Pančevo Petroleum Refinery, Serbia (River Danube alluvial formations). It was shown that distributions of n-alkanes, steranes and triterpanes, and δ13CPDB values of n-alkanes may successfully be used for qualitatively differentiating the petroleum-type pollutants from native organic matter in recent sedimentary formations. In underground waters, a petroleum-type pollutant is exposed to microbiological degradation which is manifested through relatively fast degradation of n-alkanes. Following an almost complete degradation of crude oil n-alkanes in underground water, the biosynthesis of novel, even carbon-number C16–C30 n-alkanes may be observed. It is shown that the n-alkane distribution observed in a petroleum-type pollutant may depend on the intensity of its previous interaction with water. The fate of petroleum-type pollutants in environmental waters may be predicted through laboratory simulative microbiological degradation experiments by using microorganism consortiums similar to those observed under relevant natural conditions, as well as on corresponding nutrient base.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Ministry of Science and Environment Protection of the Republic of Serbia for supporting this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, PO Box 158, 11001, Belgrade, Serbia

    Branimir Jovančićević, Miroslav Vrvić & Dragomir Vitorović

  2. Center of Chemistry, IChTM, Belgrade, Serbia

    Branimir Jovančićević, Miroslav Vrvić & Dragomir Vitorović

  3. Institute of Geology and Geochemistry of Petroleum and Coal, Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Jan Schwarzbauer

  4. Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Hannover, Germany

    Hermann Wehner & Georg Scheeder

Authors
  1. Branimir Jovančićević
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  2. Miroslav Vrvić
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  3. Jan Schwarzbauer
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  4. Hermann Wehner
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  5. Georg Scheeder
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  6. Dragomir Vitorović
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Correspondence to Branimir Jovančićević.

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Jovančićević, B., Vrvić, M., Schwarzbauer, J. et al. Organic-geochemical Differentiation of Petroleum-type Pollutants and Study of Their Fate in Danube Alluvial Sediments and Corresponding Water (Pančevo Oil Refinery, Serbia). Water Air Soil Pollut 183, 225–238 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9371-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9371-7

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