Morteza Ghobadi
1 
, Noushin Birjandi
1* 1 Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
Abstract
Petrochemical complexes play a pivotal role in industrial economies but present substantial environmental risks, including pollution of air, water, and soil, as well as ecological disturbances. This study applied fuzzy failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) to perform an environmental risk assessment (ERA) of petrochemical operations. By incorporating fuzzy logic into the conventional FMEA framework, the approach effectively quantifies key risk dimensions—occurrence, severity, and detectability—using linguistic variables to reduce ambiguity. The data were obtained from operational records, environmental monitoring systems, and expert consultations to assess and prioritize risks. The main findings revealed several high-risk failure modes. It was concluded that major equipment leaks pose significant risks to soil and water, with a fuzzy risk priority number (RPN) of 0.778, necessitating measures such as advanced leak detection systems and regular maintenance. Toxic gas releases, impacting air quality, exhibited an RPN of 0.700, warranting enhanced gas monitoring and emergency response protocols. Based on the results, wastewater discharge non-compliance, with an RPN of 0.620, contributes substantially to water pollution, calling for upgraded treatment systems and stricter monitoring. The results demonstrated that water pollution accounts for the highest environmental impact (36.4%), followed by soil (31.8%) and air pollution (27.3%). Noise pollution was the least significant risk (4.5%). Mitigation strategies include advanced monitoring technologies, improved maintenance schedules, and targeted safety protocols. This study highlights fuzzy FMEA’s ability to enhance risk management in complex industrial systems and recommends its broader implementation to address environmental challenges in petrochemical operations.