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Combining stable carbon isotope analysis and petroleum-fingerprinting to evaluate petroleum contamination in the Yanchang oilfield located on loess plateau in China

DOI:10.1007/s11356-017-0500-6
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Yiping Wang
Yiping Wang
Yiping Wang
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Jidong Liang at Xi'an Jiaotong University
Jidong Liang
Jinxing Wang at Xi'an Jiaotong University
Jinxing Wang
Sha Gao at Wageningen University & Research
Sha Gao
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Abstract and Figures

This study evaluated petroleum contamination in the Yanchang (Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Co., Ltd.) oilfield, located in the loess plateau region of northern Shaanxi, China. Surface soil and sediment samples were collected from the wasteland, farmland, and riverbed in this area to assess the following parameters: total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C). The results showed that TPH and PAH levels in the study area were 907–3447 mg/kg and 103.59–563.50 μg/kg, respectively, significantly higher than the control samples (TPH 224 mg/kg, PAHs below method quantification limit, MQL). Tests using δ¹³C to detect modified TPH (2238.66 to 6639.42 mg/kg) in the wastelands adjacent to the oil wells revealed more significant contamination than tests using extraction gravimetric analysis. In addition, “chemical fingerprint” indicators, such as low to high molecular weight (LMW/HMW) hydrocarbons, carbon preference index (CPI), and pristine/phytane (Pr/Ph), further confirmed the presence of heavy petroleum contamination and weathering. This has resulted in a nutrient imbalance and unsuitable pH and moisture conditions for microbial metabolic activities. This study evaluates petroleum contamination, which can inform contamination remediation on a case by case basis.
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Combining stable carbon isotope analysis
and petroleum-fingerprinting to evaluate petroleum
contamination in the Yanchang oilfield located
on loess plateau in China
Yiping Wang
1
&Jidong Liang
1,2
&Jinxing Wang
1
&Sha Gao
1,3
Received: 23 April 2017 /Accepted: 17 October 2017 /Published online: 15 November 2017
#Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany 2017
Abstract This study evaluated petroleum contamination in
the Yanchang (Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Co.,
Ltd.) oilfield, located in the loess plateau region of northern
Shaanxi, China. Surface soil and sediment samples were col-
lected from the wasteland, farmland, and riverbed in this area
to assess the following parameters: total petroleum hydrocar-
bon (TPH), n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs), and carbon isotope ratios (δ
13
C). The results showed
that TPH and PAH levels in the study area were 907–3447 mg/
kg and 103.59–563.50 μg/kg, respectively, significantly
higher than the control samples (TPH 224 mg/kg, PAHs be-
low method quantification limit, MQL). Tests using δ
13
Cto
detect modified TPH (2238.66 to 6639.42 mg/kg) in the
wastelands adjacent to the oil wells revealed more significant
contamination than tests using extraction gravimetric analysis.
In addition, Bchemical fingerprint^indicators, such as low to
high molecular weight (LMW/HMW) hydrocarbons, carbon
preference index (CPI), and pristine/phytane (Pr/Ph), further
confirmed the presence of heavy petroleum contamination
and weathering. This has resulted in a nutrient imbalance
and unsuitable pH and moisture conditions for microbial met-
abolic activities. This study evaluates petroleum contamina-
tion, which can inform contamination remediation on a case
by case basis.
Keywords Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) .N-alkanes .
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) .Carbon isotope
ratios (δ
13
C) .Loess
Introduction
The Yanchang oilfield is located in the loess plateau region in
the northern part of Shaanxi, China. In the past 20 years, pe-
troleum production from this field has increased rapidly, from
one million tons to more than 12 million tons per year.
Yanchang has become one of the most important energy pro-
duction bases in China. Unfortunately, environmental pollu-
tion has accompanied this petroleum extraction, leading to the
accumulation of persistent petroleum compounds in the envi-
ronment. Further, soil erosion is a serious problem in the
Loess Plateau, due to its fragile ecosystem. As a result, con-
taminated soils can become a pollution source, allowing con-
taminants to spread on a large scale. There have been few
reports about petroleum contamination in this area.
Therefore, petroleum pollution investigations are needed to
drive prompt risk management and petroleum contamination
remediation.
Petroleum is a complex mixture, composed of alkanes,
aromatics, resins, asphaltenes, and other organic matter
(Salanitro et al. 1997). Some petroleum compounds are
known to have carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic ef-
fects. As such, many countries have classified petroleum as a
type of hazardous compound (Huang et al. 2016,Zhouetal.
Responsible editor: Zhihong Xu
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article
(https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0500-6) contains supplementary
material, which is available to authorized users.
*Jidong Liang
jidongl@mail.xjtu.edu.cn
1
Department of Environmental Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong
University, Xi’an 710049, China
2
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of
Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710061,
China
3
Department of Environmental Science, Chang’an University,
Xi’an 710054, China
Environ Sci Pollut Res (2018) 25:2830–2841
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0500-6
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
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  • Feb 1997
The results from the measurements of aliphatic hydrocarbons suggest that hydrocarbons suggest that hydrocarbons in the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant (PLWTP) effluents are mainly petroleum derived; those in the Tijuana River runoff have largely originated from terrestrial plants with visible petroleum contamination; and those in the sea surface microlayer, sediment traps, and sediments at various coastal locations off San Diego have mostly resulted from biogenic contributions with enhanced microbial products in the summer season. Rainfall in the winter season appeared to amplify the inputs from terrestrial higher plants to the coastal areas. The PLWTP discharged approximately 3.85 metric tons of n-alkanes (C{sub 10}-C{sub 35}) in 1994, well below the level (136 metric tons) estimated in 1979. The input of aliphatic hydrocarbons from the Tijuana River was about 0.101 metric tons in 1994. Diffusion, solubilization, evaporation, and microbial degradation seemed partially responsible for the difference in the concentrations and compositions of aliphatic hydrocarbons in different sample media, although the relative importance of each mechanism cannot be readily discerned from the available data. The results from analyses of aliphatic hydrocarbon compositional indices are generally consistent with those of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Oils from cenozoic rift-basin in central and Northern Thailand: Source and thermal maturity
Article
Oil is produced from the Suphan Buri, Phitsanulok and Fang Basins onshore central and northern Thailand. Most of the Cenozoic rift-basins onshore Thailand are 2–4 km deep, but the Phitsanulok Basin is the deepest with a basin-fill up to 8 km thick. In this basin, the Sirikit field produces ∼18,000–24,000 bbl/day of crude oil. In the Suphan Buri Basin, about 400 bbl/day of crude oil is produced from the U Thong and Sang Kajai fields. Approximately 800 bbl/day of crude oil is produced from the Fang field (Fang Basin), which in reality consists of a number of minor structures including Ban Thi, Pong Nok, San Sai, Nong Yao and Mae Soon. A total of eight oil samples were collected from these structures and from the Sirikit, U Thong and Sang Kajai fields. The oils were subjected to MPLC and HPLC separation and were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS and GC-MS-MS). The U Thong oil was investigated in more detail by separating the oil into a number of fractions suited for the analysis of various specific compounds.
Chemical Fingerprinting of Hydrocarbons
Article