The risk of surface water contamination by oil products

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to assess the surface water contamination by oil substances in forest. The usage of forest mechanisms for felling, loading, and wood transportation belong to the activities which affect small but long-term natural environment contamination caused by mineral oil substances. These substances impact negatively on all components of the forest ecosystem. The oil substances were determined as non-polar extractable substances (NES) by spectrophotometric method in infrared spectrum. The progress of NES concentrations and harvest intensity in all sampled locations shows evident connection with harvest intensity and season of the year. We tested biodegradability of selected petroleum products for better understanding the interaction of hydrocarbons in forest ecosystem.

Keywords

• water contamination
• petroleum products
• biodegradability
• harvest