Indicadores geoquímicos de contaminação por compostos orgânicos voláteis em águas subterrâneas da Bacia do Rio Lucaia, Salvador, Bahia

Geochemical indicators of contamination by volatile organic compounds in groundwater on Lucaia's River Basin, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. This work investigated the groundwater contamination of the Lucaia's River Basin, Salvador, Brazil, for petroleum hydrocarbons leaking from fuel tanks. The concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes ― BTEX ―, sulfate, nitrate and iron (II) was determined in 17 samples of groundwater. The concentration of BTEX ranged from 0.2 to 185.7 µg.L -1 and the concentrations of sulfate, nitrate and iron (II) were correlated with levels of BTEX undergoing natural degradation. In only two points BTEX levels were observed far above the permitted by CONAMA Resolution no 396/2008, while the others were below the detection limit.