Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risk Due to Accidental Ingestion of PAHs in Contaminated Soils |
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| Authors: | Saeid Gitipour Mina Mohebi Ehsan Taheri |
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| Institution: | 1. Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran;2. Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran |
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| Abstract: | Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are types of hazardous contaminants, which their ingestion could cause severe consequences on human health. Leakages from storage tanks, underground pipelines, and evaporation ponds are the main sources of soil and groundwater contaminations at the Tehran Oil Refinery area (TOR site), located in south of Tehran, Iran. In this study, soil samples were collected from different locations at and adjacent to a polluted stream in the south of the refinery. The samples were analyzed for two hazardous PAH compounds, namely benzoa]anthracene and acenaphthene. The clean up levels due to the accidental ingestion of contaminated soils at the site were also investigated in accordance to the U.S.EPA guidelines. Comparing the soil analysis results indicated that the benzoa]anthracene concentrations in the samples varied from 53 to 299 mg/kg, which were higher than the clean up level of 1.17 mg/kg. Thus, soil remediation is required for this contaminant. The acenaphthene analysis results denoted that the average concentration of this contaminant was below the clean up level of 116.67 mg/kg, indicating that no treatment for this contaminant is necessary at the TOR site. Also, because the slope of the ground extends to the south of the stream, which stimulates the migration of the contaminants in this direction due to advection and dispersion mechanisms, the average of benzoa]anthracene concentrations in south samples was higher than north samples (i.e., Cavg(S) = 160 ppm, Cavg(N) = 113 ppm). Various treatment techniques such as thermal desorption, soil vapor extraction (SVE), and solidification/stabilization (S/S) were investigated for this site. Due to moderate to high plasticity and relatively low permeability of the soil and low volatility of benzoa]anthracene, however S/S method is recommended as a practical approach for the remediation of the soil at the site. |
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| Keywords: | Clean‐up level Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Soil ingestion Solidification/stabilization Tehran Oil Refinery |
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