Environmental impact assessment of Kirkuk Oil Refinery

Other Title(s)

تقييم التأثيرات البيئية لمصفى النفط في كركوك

Dissertant

Ali, Lamya Abd al-Amir

Thesis advisor

al-Dabbas, Mutazz Abd al-Sattar Muhammad
Afaj, Adnan Hasan

Comitee Members

al-Khafaji, Abd al-Sattar J.
al-Jumayli, Ahmad K.
Sadiq, Suran N.
Tamir Agha, Mazin Yusuf
al-Tawash, Balsam Salim

University

University of Baghdad

Faculty

College of Science

Department

Geology Department

University Country

Iraq

Degree

Master

Degree Date

2013

English Abstract

Air, soil and plants are contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some heavy metals.

In this research environmental samples were taken from 16 sites inside and outside Kirkuk oil refinery to 1.Assess the air, soil and plants contamination due to the Kirkuk refinery systems.

2.

Draw detailed air, soil and plants maps to set standards for safe environment.

3.

Suggest reliable predictive models to anticipate and manage pollutants concentration in air, soil & plants and their estimate risk of contaminants.

The concentration averages of total suspended particles (TSP) recorded in this study are significantly higher than the permissible allowable limits of the determinants of the Iraqi National standards and the worlds international allowable limits for both periods of this study : October 2010 and March 2011.

Comparing the results obtained, it is found that the averages of CO are lower than what is allowed in the national and international worldwide limits for both periods October 2010 and March 2011.

All the maximum values are recorded at locations far from the refinery.

The carbon dioxide concentrations are all higher than those allowed in the national and international world limits and for all the periods and at all sites of the studied area.

The results of NO2 at the studied area show that the average values are slightly higher than the allowable national and international limits for both periods.

The concentration of SO2 in the air in October 2010 was slightly higher than what is permitted and allowed in the worlds standard limitations and they were lower than the national limitation.

During March 2011, no record of any concentration of SO2 was made except of one site (0.1ppm).

The concentration of Lead in the air of the studied area in October was higher than the limits, whereas this concentration in March recorded lower values than the national and world limits,.

The concentration of Copper in air during the two periods were lower than what the worlds allowable standard.

It was found that Nickel concentrations were higher than the worlds allowable standard limitaions.

Chromium concentrations were also investigated in this study and it was found that the average of Chromium in the air of the studied area was different from the two averages.

It proves that there is no effect of seasonal changes on the concentration of this element .

The high concentration of PAHs in air of the studied area in October as a total was 67.685μg/m3 meanwhile the high concentration in March was rather high (7924.27 μg/m3).

This increment in PAHs concentrations at this period can be referred to the increasing fuel combustion operations at the location such as the operations of the power plant which functions increasingly during the winter months.

The concentrations of Pb, Cu and Ni in the soil of the studied area compared with the world average were lower during the two periods of measurements.

Chromium concentrations in soils have increased during March.

While recovered Cadmium was higher than the world allowable average.

The average of total concentrations of PAHs in the soil of the studied area in March was (10.92ppb) which was lower than their values during October (26.92ppb).

This is a result of the meteorological conditions present such as temperature, rainfall and prevailing wind.

The average of Lead, Copper, Chromium and Cadmium in leaves of Eucalyptus of the studied area decrease from October to March due to the effect of meteorological elements of the different seasons.

Nickel concentrations found on Eucalyptus leaves taken from the study area increased between the two periods due to the fuel combustion operations of the refinery and the oil fields near the studied area.

The average of total concentrations of PAHs extracted from Eucalyptus leaves on March was (67.41ppb) which was higher than their values during October (40.34ppb).

This is due to air temperatures decrease during the fall and winter seasons; evergreen plants scavenge the majority of emitted PAHs.

The GIS modeling is applied in this study on the results of chemical analysis of different environmental elements (air, soil and plants) to represent the distribution of the studied pollutants in the environment and determinate the most affected areas by these pollutants.

Main Subjects

Earth Sciences, Water and Environment

Topics

• Management
• Iraq
• Karkuk
• Environmental aspects
• Petroleum refineries

No. of Pages

217

Table of Contents

• APA
• MLA
• AMA

Language

English

Data Type

Arab Theses

Record ID

BIM-609501