Use of Geochemical Forensics to Determine Release Eras of Petrochemicals to Groundwater, Whitehorse, Yukon

Abstract

At sites where petrochemical releases have occurred comparatively recently (i.e., over the last 20 years), explicit age-dating is a viable approach. However, differentiating among multiparty contamination at sites with several decades of history may mandate a different allocation strategy, especially when there is an uncoordinated body of environmental data. At a location where a refinery operated for 11 months during World War II, and which has been used as a fuel distribution terminal over the ensuing 60 years, regulatory interest was triggered in 1997 when a sheen was detected discharging into the adjacent Yukon River. Our investigation combined disparate forensic tools with data visualization software to establish the sources and extent of nine distinct groundwater plumes/product areas and to estimate their periods of release.Plumes were spatially identified based on solute distribution. Earliest Demonstrable Inception Date (EDID) and Latest Possible Initiation Date (LPID) were determined based on petrochemical additives: lead and its derivatives (MTEL, TEL, and TML); MTBE, TAME, and MMT; isotopic ( 13 C/ 12 C) and n-C 17 :pristane ratios; SIM DIS curves; and aerial photography. Of these, aerial photography and additive history proved the best attribution methods to identify the EDID/LPID. This approach appears to be a useful tool when there is a long history of releases, but caution is necessary in interpreting potentially mixed plumes from different eras.

Applications of Stable Isotopes in Hydrocarbon Exploration and Environmental Forensics

“…A combined 2-dimensional (carbon-hydrogen or carbonchlorine) isotope analysis should provide the most robust fingerprinting tool. An example of 2D bulk isotope fingerprinting was shown by Davis et al (2005), who applied the technique as one of the lines of evidence to delineate hydrocarbon plumes at a former refinery site at Yukon Territory, Canada.…”

Intrusão de vapores do solo: breve histórico sobre desenvolvimento da tecnologia, cenário brasileiro e avanços recentes

“…Inicialmente, o foco das pesquisas estava limitado ao mapeamento da distribuição de contaminantes, migração de radônio e de gases provenientes de aterros sanitários para ambientes fechados NICKELS, 2008). A biodegradação aeróbica é bastante reconhecida e documentada como processo limitante para a migração de vapores de COVs de hidrocarbonetos de petróleo (API, 2008;CRCCARE, 2013;DAVIS, 2009;DEVAULL, 2007;HERS, 2002;ITRC, 2007;ITRC, 2014;USEPA, 2002;USEPA, 2015 -15 (USEPA, 1999;UHLER et al, 2003;DAVIS et. al., 2005;OUDJIK, 2005;PLANTZ et al, 2006;GALPERIN;KAPLAN, 2007;OUDIJK, 2009a;OUDIJK, 2009b; STOUT; DOUGLAS; UHLER, 2010; NJDEP, 2017), possibilita a identificação de até 1000 hidrocarbonetos voláteis diferentes, divididos em 5 classes de compostos principais (n-Parafinas, Iso-Parafinas, Aromáticos, Naftalenos e Olefinas).…”

Molecular Imprinting Applications in Forensic Science

“…Environmental forensics : Environmental forensic is the area of interest in which finding the source and age of an environmental contaminant like an oil spill, and heavy metal pollutants is investigated [ 58 , 59 , 60 ]. In terms of the legislative framework for environmental forensics, Mudge comprehensively summarized environmental forensics and the importance of source identification.…”

“…Davis et al focused on determining release periods of petrochemicals to groundwater (in Whitehorse, Yukon) for use in geochemical forensics. In this article, they studied several forensic methods using a Geographic Information System (GIS)/Access © -based data visualization tool to investigate the source and timing of hydrocarbon releases at a site in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory [ 59 ]. Alizadeh et al also applied a molecular imprinting approach to electrochemically detect TNT in different water and soil samples.…”