Contamination of soils and groundwater by petroleum hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds - Case study: ELSLAV BRNO

 

Authors: Konečný F, Boháček Z, Müller P, Kovářová M, Sedláčková I

Published in: Bulletin of Geosciences, volume 78, issue 3; pages: 225 - 239; Accepted in revised form 5 May 2003;

Keywords: TPH, VOC, contamination, NAPL, LNAPL, DNAPL, ground water and soil analysis,

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Abstract

The complex system of interactions between basic environmental components is very often complicated by anthropogenic pollution. Petroleum hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds represent the most frequent pollutants in the area of the Czech Republic. Our attention was therefore focused especially on these substances. Model reference locality of ELSTAV, Ltd. on Jílkova Street in Brno (former MEZ) was chosen for the monitoring of capture, release, degradation, persistent fixation and migration of dangerous pollutants (VOC - volatile organic compounds and TPH - total petroleum hydrocarbons) under surficial conditions of incoherent sediments. Activities performed within the scope of research works include drilling works, hydrodynamic test, soil and ground-water sample collection and laboratory analyses. A brief overview containing physical and chemical properties of chosen pollutants, their behaviour in soils and ground water and their impact on human health and the environment was also completed.
The findings obtained during the research works at the chosen contamination site and from laboratory analyses are in agreement with information gained from the literature. It appears that TPH contamination of loamy sediments is relatively stable and the contaminant mobility is negligible.