Integrated Approach to Determining the Identity of the of Adjacent Territories with Petroleum Products

The methodology of arranging laboratory studies of oil-polluted soils, subsoil, and bottom sediments to determine the source and composition of hydrocarbon pollution is described. An integrated approach to laboratory analysis of samples of oil-polluted soils, subsoil, and bottom sediments is proposed, which allows highly reliable identification of the potential source of pollution and/or conclusions about identifying pollution of adjacent territories. The proposed set of analytical methods includes infrared spectrometry, gas chromatography with mass-selective detection, and thin-layer chromatography with flame ionization detection and elemental analysis (C, H, N, S, O). The proposed integrated approach allows highly reliable determination of the nature of oil pollution of soils, estimation of the total gross content of petroleum products and their hydrocarbon composition, and identification of the potential source of pollution. Possible errors in interpreting the results of identifying pollution of territories and the importance of using an integrated approach in drawing conclusions about the source (culprit) of pollution are shown using real soil samples taken from oil-polluted sites and adjacent territories. The importance of taking into account the losses of volatile petroleum products at the stage of sample preparation for soil pollution with light oil fractions is demonstrated. The use of standard sample preparation methods (drying of the studied samples under) leads to errors in assessing the level of pollution of territories with volatile hydrocarbons and in choosing remediation methods for polluted territories. To minimize losses of volatile hydrocarbons (petrol and naphtha fractions) at the stage of soil sampling and transportation, use of a sorbent is proposed. Addition of a sorbent to soil polluted with petroleum products can reduce losses of volatile hydrocarbons by 15–20% in the analyzed samples. The developed integrated approach makes it possible to determine the specific features of the individual hydrocarbon, group, and elemental composition of petroleum products and identify hydrocarbon indicators (markers) inherent only to a certain type of petroleum product.