Environmental and ecotoxicological risk assessment of pollution with light crude oil for an oil exploatation field

¹ National Institute for Research and Development in Mine Safety and Protection to Explosion – INSEMEX Petroşani, 32-34 G-ral Vasile Milea Street, Petroşani 332047, Romania
² Institute for Research and Technological Design - ICPT Câmpina - 29 Bvd Culturii Street, Câmpina Town, Code 105600, Prahova, Romania

^* Corresponding author: alexandru.simion@insemex.ro

Abstract

Global development of transportation dependent on internal combustion engines, involves major increases in the consumption of fossil fuels obtained by extracting crude oil from depths by means of wells and refining it. In this context, protection of environment and groundwater quality is an increasingly difficult objective to maintain, requiring modern methods to address possible negative effects on the environment. The current research assesses the degree of eco-toxicological and environmental risk for an oil exploitation area in case of an accidental pollution scenario with crude oil. The entire risk spectrum was analysed through a set of qualitative and quantitative risk assessment tools to highlight and quantify the most important effects caused by petroleum products on biotope and biocenoses. The primary aim of the research is to identify vulnerable environmental reservoirs for accidental oil pollution and to establish the best tools to quantify the environmental and ecotoxicological risk of groundwater contamination. The results obtained from the area showed a low to medium risk of contamination of the saturated and unsaturated area with crude oil expressed as TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbons) and a low risk of contamination with volatile organic compounds type BTEX associated contamination of biocenoses that can directly or indirectly interact with potentially polluted areas.