Investigation of Ecological Risk (ER) and Available Ratio (AR) of some heavy metals in drill cutting of Ahvaz Oil Field in 2019

Abstract

Background: Drill cutting is one of the largest volumes of waste generated in oil and gas exploration and production activities, which contain toxic substances, especially heavy metals, which are potentially harmful to the ecosystem. This study aimed to investigate the pollution indices, available ratio, and ecological risk of some heavy metals in the Drill cutting of the Ahvaz oil field in southwestern Iran. Methods: 30 samples of drill cutting were collected from 6 wells in 6 different depths (1250-2350 m), and there were sent to the laboratory. The total and available concentration of metals extracted by Aqua Regia method and by DTPA extracting solution and metals were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry(AAS). The soil chemical and physical parameters such as organic matter, EC, and pH were also measured.