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Preliminary evaluation of the effects of an abandoned oil refinery on chemical quality of water in the Arkansas River Valley, Arkansas City, Kansas, 1985-86

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OSTI ID:6869978
 [1]
  1. Geological Survey, Lawrence, KS (United States)
Samples of ground water, wastes, waste leachate, and soil collected between December 1985 and August 1986 indicate that wastes from an abandoned oil refinery have caused local contamination of water in alluvium of the Arkansas River Valley in Kansas. The wastes have not affected major ionic composition of groundwater under the site except locally. Organic compounds are the principal contaminants; they are from the petroleum refinery wastes that affect water quality in the alluvium. Oil-contaminated sediments are the principal sources of hydrocarbons in groundwater under the site. Polynuclear aromatic compounds appear to pose the greatest environmental and public-health hazards. Limited detection of volatile organic compounds, at 3 micrograms per liter, in water from wells onsite and the general absence of organic compounds in water wells offsite suggest that contaminants have been flushed from the aquifer, volatized, reacted to form other compounds, or have biodegraded.
OSTI ID:
6869978
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English