Environmental and ecotoxicological risk assessment of pollution with light crude oil for an oil exploatation field

Global development of transportation dependent on internal combustion engines, involves major increases in the consumption of fossil fuels obtained by extracting crude oil from depths by means of wells and refining it. In this context, protection of environment and groundwater quality is an increasingly difficult objective to maintain, requiring modern methods to address possible negative effects on the environment. The current research assesses the degree of eco-toxicological and environmental risk for an oil exploitation area in case of an accidental pollution scenario with crude oil. The entire risk spectrum was analysed through a set of qualitative and quantitative risk assessment tools to highlight and quantify the most important effects caused by petroleum products on biotope and biocenoses. The primary aim of the research is to identify vulnerable environmental reservoirs for accidental oil pollution and to establish the best tools to quantify the environmental and ecotoxicological risk of groundwater contamination. The results obtained from the area showed a low to medium risk of contamination of the saturated and unsaturated area with crude oil expressed as TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbons) and a low risk of contamination with volatile organic compounds type BTEX associated contamination of biocenoses that can directly or indirectly interact with potentially polluted areas.

Hygienic assessment of potential ecotoxicological risk of the use of new insecticide spiromesifen in agriculture of Ukraine

Objective: The aim of our work was to study the potential ecotoxicological hazard of a new chemical from the class of tetramic and tetronic acid derivatives - the insecticide spiromesifen, taking into account its physico-chemical properties and impact on the environmental objects. Materials and methods: An assessment of the potential danger of spiromesifen use for ecosystems was carried out on the basis of the calculation of the ecotoxicological hazard (ecotox) by N.N. Melnikov’s method. The field studies were carried out in different agro-climatic zones of Ukraine. The treatment of vineyards and apple trees was carried out at the maximum consumption rates of spiromesifen. Results: According to the literary data and our research, it was found that in the soil-and-climatic conditions of Ukraine, the ecotoxicological risk, when using the new insecticide spiromesifen, is 10,000 times and 7,000 times low than the analogous characteristics of DDT. Ecotox abamectin is 154 times low than ecotox DDT. This makes preparations, based on these substances, more promising and competitive among other pesticides in agricultural use. We can conclude that spiromesifen does not pose a threat to terrestrial ecosystems and health of the population.