Abstract
Pipelines can move large volume of hazardous substances quickly, relatively inexpensively and reliably, with relatively few associated impacts on the environment, at least as compared with other transport modes. However, releases of hazardous substances could happen also by pipelines, due to accidents or deliberate acts. In case of liquid hydrocarbons carried by pipelines, the risk for the surroundings is due to the possibility of rupture and the consequent release of the content, with resulting land contamination, other than risk of fire and explosions. In this case, the assessment of the environmental consequences in terms of contaminated volume soil and concentrations of the pollutants in the groundwater represents a fundamental step for any effective preventive or mitigating action as well as for the remediation management.
Based on this consideration the present work describes a methodological approach for the assessment of the environmental consequences associated with gasoline releases from transmission pipelines, in terms of contaminated volume soil and concentrations in groundwater of the hydrocarbon pollutants; the potential damage caused by the exposure of the receptor of concern is also taken into account. The different steps carried out for this purpose, combining qualitative information and quantitative techniques of risk analysis, are illustrates. The data obtained could provide useful information for managing the site contamination problems in case of accidental pipelines releases, as well as for planning remediation actions and timing.
