Petroleum biomarkers can provide reliable evidence for spilled crude oils and petroleum products and can correlate such to suspected sources. However, there seems to be limited reports relating these biomarkers to the quantification of Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in environmental matrices. This study utilises aliphatic and aromatic petroleum biomarkers to discriminate crude oil from different sources, and the extent of crude oil soil pollution. Crude oil and soil samples were collected from a decommissioned oil well head at Tibshelf, Derbyshire, United Kingdom; and various locations in Ogoniland, Niger Delta, Nigeria. The samples were profiled for petroleum biomarkers in the different classes of hydrocarbon compounds in crude oil namely: saturated straight chain, substituted aromatic and substituted cyclic (non-aromatic) using a GC-MS, from which different types were identified. The biomarker compounds, dodecane and benzene -1,3-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) were thus identified and selected based on their consistent presence at different concentrations of the crude oil and soil samples and the easy availability of their standards. These biomarkers were then quantified and related to the TPHs contents in the crude oil and soil samples. The investigation revealed positive correlation between benzene -1,3-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) – dodecane ratio and the level TPHs in soils. This ratio also varied significantly among crude oil from different sources. Thus, the biomarkers, dodecane and benzene-1,3-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl), can be used to evaluate levels of TPHs contamination in soils, and as discriminant of crude oil from different sources.

Utilising the biomarker compounds, dodecane and benzene-1,3-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) as discriminant of crude oil types, and TPHs pollution index in soils

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.