Assessment of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Biogenic Inputs in Water Bodies of the Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don Agglomerations

This study investigates water pollution by petroleum products also known as Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) in the highly productive southern reaches of the Volga, Don, and Temernik rivers, near the major urban agglomerations of Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don. The assessment was performed using infrared (IR) spectrometry and fluorimetric analysis, which are widespread techniques in environmental monitoring. Concurrently, chromatographic methods were employed to analyze specific TPH components, namely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and alkanes, to identify their origins based on diagnostic ratios. The most heavily polluted river sections were determined, where TPH concentrations significantly exceeded maximum permissible concentrations alongside elevated levels of benzo[a]pyrene. While IR spectrometry and fluorimetric methods yielded comparable TPH concentrations when petrogenic sources dominated, their results differed significantly in cases where biogenic (natural) hydrocarbons prevailed.