Estimating incident ultraviolet radiation exposure in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Millions of barrels of oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic components of crude oil, which may become more toxic in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a phenomenon known as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental toxicology and chemistry 2018-06, Vol.37 (6), p.1679-1687
Main Authors: Bridges, Kristin N., Lay, Claire R., Alloy, Matthew M., Gielazyn, Michel L., Morris, Jeffrey M., Forth, Heather P., Takeshita, Ryan, Travers, Constance L., Oris, James T., Roberts, Aaron P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attenuation coefficients
Biota
Crude oil
Damage assessment
Deepwater Horizon
Estuaries
Estuarine environments
Exposure
Natural resources
Offshore drilling rigs
Oil spills
Phototoxicity
Photo‐induced toxicity
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Radiation effects
Radiometers
Risk assessment
Solar radiation
Toxicity testing
ultraviolet attenuation
Ultraviolet radiation
Water column
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Summary:Millions of barrels of oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic components of crude oil, which may become more toxic in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a phenomenon known as photo‐induced toxicity. The Deepwater Horizon spill impacted offshore and estuarine sites, where biota may be co‐exposed to UV and PAHs. Penetration of UV into the water column is affected by site‐specific factors. Therefore, measurements and/or estimations of UV are necessary when one is assessing the risk to biota posed by photo‐induced toxicity. We describe how estimates of incident UV were determined for the area impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, using monitoring data from radiometers near the spill, in conjunction with reference spectra characterizing the composition of solar radiation. Furthermore, we provide UV attenuation coefficients for both near‐ and offshore sites in the Gulf of Mexico. These estimates are specific to the time and location of the spill, and fall within the range of intensities utilized during photo‐induced toxicity tests performed in support of the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). These data further validate the methodologies and findings of phototoxicity tests included in the Deepwater Horizon NRDA, while underscoring the importance of considering UV exposure when assessing possible risks following oil spills. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1679–1687. © 2018 SETAC
ISSN:0730-7268
1552-8618
DOI:10.1002/etc.4119