B. Kalita1, H.P. Sharma2 and S. Bortahkur3
Department of Environmental Science, Gauhati University, Guwahati – 781 014 Assam (India)
1Subject Matter Specialist (Agronomy), KVK, East Kameng, Pampoli – 790102, Arunachal Pradesh, E-mail: binod_kalita05@rediff.com (Corresponding author)
2 Profesor and Head, Department of Environmental Science, Gauhati University, Guwahati – 781 014, Assam
3 Programme Coordinator, KVK, East Kameng, Pampoli – 790102, Arunachal Pradesh
Abstract: Pollution caused by disposal of associated gases through flaring is the most prevalent problems in the crop as well as soil environment. The effect of natural gas flaring (light pollution) on soil chemical properties, soil temperature and dehydrogensae enzyme activity were studied in the year 2010 and 2011 in the vicinity of eight (08) numbers of flare pits located near Oil Collecting Station’s (OCS’s), Early Processing Setup’s (EPS’s) and Quick Processing Setup’s (QPS’s) under Oil India Limited, Duliajan, Assam. It has been achieved a distance 0-25 m, 25-50 m, 50-75 m, 75-100 m and 100-125 m from the flare pits and soil sample were collected from the five distances of each flare pits according to method and soil sample were analyzed for chemical properties. Results obtained showed variation in chemical properties of soil, soil temperature and dehydrogensae enzyme activity as distance increases away from flare pits. In respect of soil PH, the study does not show significant effect of natural gas flaring with increase in distance from the flare pits up to 125 m. Significant difference in respect of soil temperature, soil organic carbon, available N, Available P2O5, available K2O and dehydrogenase enzyme activity was recorded with the distance from the flare pits which might be due to heat effect of natural gas flaring at the vicinity of flare pits. Correlation study revealed that soil temperature was negatively correlated with soil organic carbon, available N, Available P2O5, available K2O and dehydrogenase enzyme activity of soil i.e. all these parameters found to be reduced nearby the flare pit and increases with the distance from it.
Keywords: Natural gas, Environment, Paddy Field, Assam
REFERENCES
Abbas A. Olajire and Brack W. (2005). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Niger Delta soil: contamination sources and profiles. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Tech. 2(4): 343-352.
Augustine O. and Sanford, W.W. (1976). The effect of waste gas flares on the surrounding vegetation in south Eastern Nigeria. J. of Applied Ecology. 13 (1).177-187.
Abdulkareem, A.S. (2005). Evaluation of ground level concentration of pollutant by computer simulation: a case study of Niger – Delta area of Nigeria.Leonardo Electronic Jouranal of practices and techoligis.6 (4): 29 –42.
Anikeev, D.R and Yusupov, I.A. (2000). Effect of emission from petroleum gas flares on reproductive state of pine stands in the northern taiga sub – zone. Russian Journal of Ecology. 37 (2): 109 – 113.
Baruha, D. (2006). Effect of crude oil on soil, species number, biomass and productivityfollowing an accidentblowout of an oil well in a terrestrial ecosystem. Nature Env Polln Techno. 5(3):477–482.
Deka, S. (2001). Bacterial strains, degrading crude oil from petroleum polluted soil of Assam. Polln Res. 20 (4): 517-521.
Gogoi, N. and Baruah, K.K. (2001). Effects of natural gas flare on growth flowering and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Polln Res. 20(3): 337-341.
Michiko, Ishone (2004). Gas flaring in the Nigeria delta: the potential benefits of its reduction on the local economy and environment.http:// www.Socrates. berkaley.edu./res196/projects/2004final/Ishone.pdf.
Marinescu, M. et al. (2010). An assessment of the effects of crude oil pollution on soil properties. Annals of Food science and technology. 11 (1): 94-99.
Reddy, S.R. (1999). Principle of Agronomy. 1st Edition. Kalyani Publisher, New Delhi.
Shrama, K.K.; Hazarika, S.; Kalita, B. and Sharma, B. (2011). Effect of natural gas flaring in Oil field of Assam on rice cultivation. J. of Environmental Science and Engineering. 55(3):289-298.