Impact of potential⁴⁰K contamination of aquatic resources by waste water from oil

Abstract

Background. In arid regions water is vital and large bodies of waste water that are returned to the environment penetrate the ground and re-emerge as surface water to be used for domestic purposes. Results. Waste water from oil is disposed of in this way and this study showed that waste water from this origin produced activities of 40 K that exceeded the domestic admissible limit of 0.2 Bq L 21 . This was used as an indicator to evaluate the threat of contamination to underground aquatic supplies. Several samples were collected and monitored for gamma rays for a period of 1 year. In some cases 40 K levels were as high as 100 Bq L 21 . Conclusions. The potential impact of these raised levels on aquatic resources and the general environment is discussed. The thrust of this paper is of considerable benefit to oil-producing countries throughout the world from the perspective of potential contamination by 40 K from produced water that is returned to the environment.

Characterization of Crude Oil, Asphaltenes Based on Bismuth (Bi), Thorium (Th) and Uranium (U) Levels: Potential Environmental Impact

“…The most critical threat that bismuth and these particular actinides can present is pollution of aquatic resources and underground water supplies. Most oil producing countries are arid and there is a chronic water shortage in many of these regions [8] [9]. Contamination of water supplies by toxins of this nature would be highly deleterious to the environment and would seriously affect sustainability.…”