ABSTRACT
Petroleum hydrocarbons are somewhat ubiquitous in the environment and humankind’s use has led to spills, leaks and releases that pose risks to human health and ecosystems. Petroleum products can contain thousands of compounds depending on the petroleum product type with variable toxicity, solubility, volatility and degradability. Research over more than 50 years has enabled soil, groundwater and vapour exposure pathways and risks to be better quantified, recognising the variability across fuel types (such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuels) and crude oils. Here we describe that variability and common trends, fate and behaviour patterns, and transitions in the behaviour of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil and groundwater over short and long time horizons. Advances in approaches to characterisation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil and groundwater are outlined. Management and remediation of petroleum hydrocarbons are described in the context of the weighting of risk factors posed by the separate phases and compounds in petroleum releases. Key to the risk profile and remediation potential of petroleum hydrocarbons are their potential to be removed by weathering and associated compositional changes (water washing, volatilisation and biotic and abiotic degradation of components). Management and remediation approaches are increasingly taking advantage of such characteristics.
