Impacts of the Petrochemical Industries on Groundwater Quality

Abstract

Global interest in groundwater resource management is significant, with petrochemical industrialization identified as a potential source of groundwater pollution. Petrochemical industrial processes cause significant impacts on groundwater quality through the discharging of highly contaminated waste with oil and chemicals. This study aims to determine the impact of the heavy petrochemical industrial city of Jubail Saudi Arabia on groundwater quality and identify special sources of pollution using a statistical approach. Samples from 47 groundwater wells were collected and analyzed for 23 indicators, mainly chlorinatedhydrocarbons, 1,1-olefin hydrocarbons, vinyl chlorides, 1,1,2-trichloroethylene and chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethylene, chlorobenzene, and benzene. The results were compared with permissible standard limits to identify the level of exceedance. The results showed an exceedance in the concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons, total petroleum hydrocarbons, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1-trichloroethane, and vinyl chloride more than ten times above the permissible limits of these concentrations. The study revealed the high impact of the petrochemical industries on groundwater quality. Since the current monitoring program depends only on annual sampling of groundwater, there has been a recommendation to install an online groundwater monitoring system to conserve water quality and achieve sustainable management.