Risks related to gas manifestations in the Hellenic territory

TY - CONF

T1 - Risks related to gas manifestations in the Hellenic territory

AU - Kyriakopoulos, K.; D’Alessandro, W.

AU - Calabrese, Sergio

AU - Daskalopoulou, Kyriaki

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Like other geodynamically active areas, Greece is affected by a large number of geogenic gas manifestations. These occur either in form of point sources (fumaroles, mofettes, bubbling gases) or as diffuse emanations. We produced a catalogue of the geogenic gas manifestations of Greece also considering few literature data. Collected samples were analysed for their chemical (He, Ne, Ar, O2, N2, H2, H2S, CO, CH4 and CO2) and isotopic composition (He, C and N). Geogenic gases, apart from having important influences on the global climate, could have strong impact on human health. Gas hazard is often disregarded because fatal episodes are often not correctly attributed. Geodynamic active areas release geogenic gases for million years over wide areas and the potential risks should not be disregarded. A preliminary estimation of the gas hazard has been made for the last 20 years considering the whole population of Greece. In this period at least 2 fatal episodes with a total of 3 victims could be certainly attributed to CO2. This would give a risk of 1.310-8 fatality per annum. Such value, probably underestimated, is much lower than most other natural or anthropogenic risks. Nevertheless this risk, being unevenly distributed along the whole territory, should not be overlooked and better constrained in areas with high density of gas manifestations and high soil gas fluxes.

AB - Like other geodynamically active areas, Greece is affected by a large number of geogenic gas manifestations. These occur either in form of point sources (fumaroles, mofettes, bubbling gases) or as diffuse emanations. We produced a catalogue of the geogenic gas manifestations of Greece also considering few literature data. Collected samples were analysed for their chemical (He, Ne, Ar, O2, N2, H2, H2S, CO, CH4 and CO2) and isotopic composition (He, C and N). Geogenic gases, apart from having important influences on the global climate, could have strong impact on human health. Gas hazard is often disregarded because fatal episodes are often not correctly attributed. Geodynamic active areas release geogenic gases for million years over wide areas and the potential risks should not be disregarded. A preliminary estimation of the gas hazard has been made for the last 20 years considering the whole population of Greece. In this period at least 2 fatal episodes with a total of 3 victims could be certainly attributed to CO2. This would give a risk of 1.310-8 fatality per annum. Such value, probably underestimated, is much lower than most other natural or anthropogenic risks. Nevertheless this risk, being unevenly distributed along the whole territory, should not be overlooked and better constrained in areas with high density of gas manifestations and high soil gas fluxes.

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10447/143746

M3 - Paper

ER -