A review about radioactivity in TENORMs of produced water waste from petroleum industry and its environmental and health effects

Abstract

Produced water that detached from petroleum production process is often reimbursed into the surrounding environment. This might have negative impact for environment; it is usually infiltrate agricultural soil and contaminate groundwater with toxic elements. These waters are often contaminated by technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORMs). It may create specific environmental issues and health radiological threats to the inhabitants, especially inside the petroleum facilities or the local population that live in areas and use the groundwater for the usual living purposes. The aim of this work is to provide an intensive review for the previous studies on the (TENORMs) that associating with the produced water from petroleum industry, and its environmental and health impacts in many areas around the globe. It is true that there is long term hazard associated with widespread behaviour of releasing produced water into the environments for both workers and local inhabitants as well as the environment itself. However, there is many studies suggesting that currently the situation could be considered in low hazard level in most of petroleum fields, but with increases in the extraction and use of petroleum, the discharge of produced water into the environment increases accordingly, this might be end up with negative impacts on the environment and health such as radiological contamination of aquatic and agricultural life.