| Summary: | Oil refineries release harmful pollutants affecting the neighboring communities. Τhe environmental impact of the continuous operation of an oil refinery was explored in soils and vegetables in northern Greece. The investigation focused on the presence of radionuclides and heavy metals in the surrounding area of the oil refinery. The determination of the activity concentrations of uranium, radium and thorium was performed by gamma and alpha spectrometry while the concentrations of heavy metals and trace elements (As, Pb, Cu, Mn, Zn, Ni, Fe) were determined by X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The results obtained from a two-years survey, in cold and warm periods, showed slight temporal variation and the concentrations of the dispersed metals do not exceed literature values. Determination of pollution indexes, as contamination factor and degree (CF and Cd), as well as enrichment (EF) and transfer factor (TF) from soil to plants and hazard quotient (HQ) led to a better assessment of the environmental status so that measures can be taken to limit the pollution and the effects on human health.
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