Diagnosis of a petroleum derivative contamination in soil and groundwater in a Waterway Terminal: A case study in the city of Natal-RN.
Contamination Indicatives, Volatile Organic Compounds, Petroleum hydrocarbons.
The Aquaviários Terminal Unit's main function is to receive, store and distribute oil, oil products and liquid renewable fuels, ensuring the supply of domestic and international markets. The great logistic movement generated by the exploration, processing, storage, transportation and commercialization of oil and its derivatives has generated worries related to its potential contamination of the environment. Because of the numerous accidents with fuel spills, which cause contamination of soils and waters by oil-derived hydrocarbons, research in this context makes it a challenge for professionals working in the area, due to the complexity of interactions occurring in the soil and in the water. The Terminal, object of study, is located in the city of Natal-RN and occupies an area of 110,000 m2. The aim of this study is to evaluate soil and groundwater contamination by petroleum by-products in the 1430-04 basin, characterizing the presence of substances with potential contamination in soil and groundwater through the collection of soil and water samples for the analysis of TPH fractional parameters, BTEX, VOC, SVOC and metals. As well as the analysis of soil physical parameters (particle size, total and effective porosity, particle density and total soil, natural moisture) and organic carbon fraction. The chemical analyzes of soil samples did not present concentrations of the analyzed parameters (TPH, BTEX, VOC, SVOC and metals). Concentrations of benzene were detected in the groundwater samples, in addition to xylenes and TPH. For metals, concentrations of lead were detected in addition to iron. For dissolved metals, only lead had concentrations above the values investigated. All results of the chemical analyzes were compared with the values of CONAMA Resolution 420/2009.