Instituto Nacional de Ecología, Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Periférico sur 5000, Col. Insurgentes Cuicuilco, Delegación Coyoacán, C.P. 04530 México D.F., Mexico.
J Environ Manage. 2011 Jul;92(7):1706-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.02.008. Epub 2011 Mar 3.
The oil industry is one of the main productive activities in Mexico and has a huge infrastructure, including a wide pipeline network that crosses urban, industrial, agricultural and natural areas. The threat of crude oil spills is greatest in those regions with a high concentration of oil extraction and refining activities, as in the case of the Coatzacoalcos and Tonalá Rivers Low Basin. This study ranked the geosystems of the basin in terms of vulnerability to pipeline crude oil spills. Very high vulnerability (level I) was assigned to the water bodies (lakes and rivers) and their margins of influence, including surfaces that flood during normal hydraulic load. High vulnerability areas (level II) comprised surfaces that can flood during extraordinary hydraulic load related with extreme hydrometeorological events. The remaining three vulnerability levels were defined for areas with low or negligible flooding potential, these were ranked according to physical (slope, relief and permeability), biological (richness, singularity and integrity) and socio-economic (social marginalization index and economic activities index) conditions. These results are presented on a map for better visualization and interpretation. This study will be useful to establish preventive and effective emergency management actions in order to reduce remediation costs and adverse effects on wild species. It also can help local and national authorities, oil industry and civil protection corps to better protect ecosystems, natural resources and human activities and goods.
石油行业是墨西哥的主要生产活动之一，拥有庞大的基础设施，包括广泛的管道网络，横跨城市、工业、农业和自然区域。在那些石油开采和精炼活动高度集中的地区，例如科阿特萨科阿尔科斯河和托纳拉河低地流域，原油泄漏的威胁最大。本研究根据对管道原油泄漏的脆弱性，对流域的地质系统进行了排名。非常高的脆弱性（一级）被分配给水体（湖泊和河流）及其影响范围，包括在正常水力负荷期间洪水泛滥的表面。高脆弱性地区（二级）包括在与极端水文气象事件有关的非凡水力负荷期间可能洪水泛滥的表面。其余三个脆弱性级别是针对洪水潜在风险低或可忽略不计的区域定义的，这些级别是根据物理（坡度、地势和渗透率）、生物（丰富度、独特性和完整性）和社会经济（社会边缘化指数和经济活动指数）条件进行排名的。这些结果以地图形式呈现，以便更好地可视化和解释。本研究将有助于制定预防性和有效的应急管理措施，以降低补救成本和对野生物种的不利影响。它还可以帮助地方和国家当局、石油行业和民防部队更好地保护生态系统、自然资源和人类活动及财产。
