Mathematical Modelling of the Remediation of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon in Soil Samples Case Study: Shell Spill Site

Abstract

An oil spill is the release of a liquidpetroleumhydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. Environmental pollution is a common hazard in the Niger Delta Region. It is largely due to crude oil exploration and exploitation in the area. This work covered model of variation of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) parameters with no deep consideration and performance of the experimental analysis of the parameters. Data from analyses done on different soil samples gotten from Shell Petroleum spill site were used in the modelling so as to validate mathematically, the field data. It also improved some statistical analysis of soil parameters by overcoming statistical limitations in the correlation of parameters. The study also confirmed and evaluated the possibility that a smaller group of soil sample parameter provide sufficient information for soil remediation assessment. The models for the amount of total petroleum hydrocarbon in the four samples were-0.005x^2+ 1.747x+2.581, 7.964e 0.064x, 7.266e0.068x and 10.56e 0.069x, respectively, where x is the retention time of TPH in the soil samples.