BP Oil Spill: One Year Later What Did We Learn and Where ...

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BP Oil Spill: One Year LaterWhat Did We Learn and Where Are We Now?

Edward B. Overton, PhDProfessor Emeritus

Department of Environmental ScienceLouisiana State University

Baton Rouge, LA

Mechanisms to causeEnvironmental Impactsfrom Oil Spills

•Toxicity•Smothering•Oxygen depletion•(production of biomass/incorporation into food web)•Some remedial activities

Toxic & StickyFloating

StickyFloatingSinking?

Tarball ,Tarmats

Surface Oil Weathering

GunkyFloatingSinking

Days Weeks MonthsThe Effects of Weathering on Spilled Oil

Loss of Light EndVOCs due to evaporationand dissolution

Saturates and AromaticsDegraded by bacteria

Residue Asphaltene

Harm = {Toxicity + Dose} + Route of Exposure

amount Oil water emulsification

Photos Source: OceanFutureSociety

Surface Weathered Oil

Just below Surface Slick

Fresh

Boswell

Sediment

C17/Pr C18/Ph C2 Naphthalenes

Toxic & StickyFloating

StickyFloatingSinking?

Tarball /Tarmats

Surface Oil Weathering

GunkyFloatingSinking

Days Weeks MonthsThe Effects of Weathering on Spilled Oil

Harm = {Toxicity + Dose} + Route of Exposure

Quantitative Analysis of oil in the environment is problematic because of oil’s heterogeneous distribution

Fresh

Weathered

Green regrowth on oiled areas

Green regrowth on oiled areas

no regrowth on oiled areas

Green regrowth on oiled areas

no regrowth on oiled areas

no regrowth on oiled areas

Heavily Weathered Oiled Marsh Sediment

Bay JimmyMay 15, 2011

Detection of subsurface oil1. near surface and at depth2. gaseous markers of oil3. buried or tar mats4. sunken oil?

Identification of oil1. weathering2. fingerprinting3. ID petrogenic material

Dispersant/ISB/Skimmer Monitoring1. effectiveness at depth and from surface application2. oil concentrations in water column3. dispersed oil degradation4. dispersant detection in water column

Worker and general population safety (direct exposures)1. at ground zero2. cleanup sites3. population centers at risk from exposures

Seafood safety1. detection of contamination2. is the seafood safe to eat from PAH concentration perspective

AnalyticalContributions To Oil SpillResponses

Analytical Techniques for Oil Spills (organics): • GC (gas chromatography): TPH• GCMS (gc mass spectrometry): TPAH, fingerprints, biomarkers,

dispersant indicators• GCxGC TOFMS: more selective GCMS • HRMS (high resolution MS): petronomics?• GCMSMS: a bit more selective GCMS for seafood analysis• LCMSMS (liquid chromatography MSMS): a bit faster PAHs in

seafood• Taste and Smell: petroleum contamination in seafood• LCHRMS: DOSS in deep water samples• Cyclotron X-ray fluorescence: sulfur speciations• FTIR• UV• UV Fluorescence