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Contamination and natural attenuation characteristics of petroleum hydrocarbons in a fractured karst aquifer, North China

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Abstract

A rare super-large fractured karst aquifer located in Zibo city, Shandong Province of Northern China was polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons from a petrochemical company. Over the last 30 years, it has been the focus of several remediation efforts. In this study, the contamination and natural attenuation characteristics of the petroleum hydrocarbons were elucidated using hydrogeochemical indicators (DO, DOC, Cl−, HCO3−, pH, NO3−, and SO42−), petroleum hydrocarbons elements and environmental isotopes (δ15NNO3, δ18ONO3, δ13CDIC, and δ13CDOC). With the aid of GIS, statistical analyses, as well as first-order decay model and electron-acceptor-limited kinetic model, the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of the petroleum hydrocarbons were modeled. Results showed a positive natural attenuation trend over the last 3 decades where intrinsic biodegradation mechanism was found to be the most important factor driving the degradation of hydrocarbons in the aquifer system. The hydrogeochemical association between the indicators and petroleum hydrocarbons provided the evidences of biodegradation and also served as markers, highlighting the occurrence of anaerobic respiration without methanogenic activities within the heterogenous karst media. Furthermore, the mean natural attenuation rate of petroleum hydrocarbons was calculated to be 3.76 × 10−3/day whereby the current highest petroleum hydrocarbons concentration (361.13 μg/L) is estimated to be degraded completely in 6 years under the present hydrogeological and environmental conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments, which helped us improve the quality of the paper.

Funding

Financial support was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41702277), National Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Province (2017GXNSFFA198006, 2018GXNSFDA050002), Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (JYYWF20182002, 2020004), UNESCO/IUGS (IGCP 661), Global Karst Resource Ecology United laboratory-Comparative study of classical karst areas between China and Slovenia (KY201802009), The national key research and development program of China (2016YFC0502306), and the Geological Survey Projects of CGS (DD20190022, DD20190452).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, NO. 68 Jincheng Street, East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, Wuhan, 430074, People’s Republic of China

    Yongli Guo & Zhang Wen

  2. Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences / Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, MNR and GZAR, Guilin, 541004, People’s Republic of China

    Yongli Guo & Cheng Zhang

  3. International Research Center on Karst under the Auspices of UNESCO, Guilin, 541004, People’s Republic of China

    Cheng Zhang

  4. Department of Civil Engineering, Baze University Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria

    Hamza Jakada

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  1. Yongli Guo
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  2. Zhang Wen
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Correspondence to Zhang Wen.

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Responsible editor: Xianliang Yi

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Highlights

• Spatio-temporal concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons had an obvious decreasing trend over the last 30 years with a mean natural attenuation rate of 3.76 × 10−3 /day.

• The occurrences of aerobic and anaerobic respiration without methanogenic activities were demonstrated by analyzing hydrogeochemical indicators, petroleum hydrocarbons and environmental isotopes.

• The current highest petroleum hydrocarbons concentration (361.13 μg/L) in the contaminant sources area could be degraded completely in 6 years based on the present biodegradation capacity and mean natural attenuation rate.

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Guo, Y., Wen, Z., Zhang, C. et al. Contamination and natural attenuation characteristics of petroleum hydrocarbons in a fractured karst aquifer, North China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 22780–22794 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08723-2

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