What is BTEX in water?

BTEX refers to the chemicals benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. These compounds occur naturally in crude oil and can be found in sea water in the vicinity of natural gas and petroleum deposits. Other natural sources of BTEX compounds include gas emissions from volcanoes and forest fires.

What does BTEX test for?

BTEX gives a great indication of VOC emissions from a range of sources. Benzene for instance, is commonly present in petrol, vehicle exhaust and burning of solid and liquid fuels. In an urban environment, there’s usually benzene present from these sources.

What is total BTEX?

The analysis of total BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes) is often required of industrial users discharging petroleum contaminated groundwater to municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Is BTEX a PAH?

had the highest concentration of PAHs (3.678 ± 0.036 mg/kg) and BTEX (0.013 ± 0.003 mg/kg). The depth of the soil had no significant effect on the concentration of the contaminants. The concentration of BTEX was very small due to volatilization, dissolution, and degradation by microorganisms.

Is BTEX soluble in water?

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) isomers are monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which have a moderate solubility in water (benzene: 1600 mg/L; toluene: 500 mg/L; ethylbenzene and xylenes: 160 mg/L). They are constituents of mineral oil products and are used in many industrial processes as solvents.

Is BTEX organic or inorganic?

BTEX is an acronym that stands for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene. These chemicals are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are naturally occurring and human-made compounds that appear as gases or vapors at room temperature.

Is benzene a PAH?

By definition, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have multiple cycles, precluding benzene from being considered a PAH. Some sources, such as the US EPA and CDC, consider naphthalene to be the simplest PAH. Other authors consider PAHs to start with the tricyclic species phenanthrene and anthracene.

Is BTEX volatile?

Is crude oil a PAH?

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil, and gasoline. They result from burning coal, oil, gas, wood, garbage, and tobacco. PAHs can bind to or form small particles in the air. High heat when cooking meat and other foods will form PAHs.