The impact of oil refinery and petrochemical system on the hydrosphere of Nizhnekamsk industrial zone in the republic of Tatarstan

Abstract

© 2020, Neftyanoe Khozyaistvo. All rights reserved. The authors consider the features of the composition of surface and ground water in the Nizhnekamsk industrial zone and its surroundings in 1979-2018. Nizhnekamsk industrial zone is one of the largest in Europe. It is located in the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan and includes many large petrochemical and oil refineries. According to the analysis of hydrochemical data, the authors can claim that the composition of natural waters in the vicinity of the industrial zone has not changed significantly over the past 40 years. Waters with a salinity of less than 0,5-0.6 g/l and a total hardness of less than 7-8 mmol/l with the composition HCO3/Ca and HCO3/Mg-Ca are most common here. Groundwater salinity can reach 1.25 g/l, hardness can reach 17.7 mmol/l, and permanganate index can reach 17.3 mgO/l within industrial zones. The composition of groundwater has the strongest changes within and near industrial landfill sites. Salinity can reach 12 g/l here; the hardness is 135 mmol/l; and the concentrations of the most characteristic pollutants are following (mg/l): Petroleum products no more than 500-982; phenols no more than 13.9; total iron no more than 153. However, the concentrations of many pollutant components can decrease by 1-2 orders of magnitude already at a short distance from the landfill (at a distance of 150-200 m), and at a distance of 1.0-1.5 km from it, signs of pollution of natural waters disappear. The composition of natural waters in the vicinity of the Nizhnekamsk industrial zone named does not change over time due to the high buffer (protective) properties of its geological environment.