Long-term weathering and continued oxidation of oil residues from the Deepwater Horizon spill

To investigate the long-term weathering of oil from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) incident, oil-soaked sand patties were collected from Gulf of Mexico beaches from Florida to Alabama over a three-year period from 2012 to 2014. Analysis of oil residues by gas chromatography with flame ionization detect...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine pollution bulletin 2016-12, Vol.113 (1-2), p.380-386
Main Authors: White, Helen K., Wang, Chloe H., Williams, Patrick L., Findley, David M., Thurston, Alana M., Simister, Rachel L., Aeppli, Christoph, Nelson, Robert K., Reddy, Christopher M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alabama
Biodegradation
Biodegradation, Environmental
Chromatography, Thin Layer
Environmental Monitoring - methods
Florida
Fuel Oils - analysis
Gulf of Mexico
Hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbons - analysis
Hydrocarbons - chemistry
Infrared spectroscopy
Marine
Mexico
Oxidation-Reduction
Oxygenated
Petroleum
Petroleum Pollution - analysis
Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry
Weather
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Summary:To investigate the long-term weathering of oil from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) incident, oil-soaked sand patties were collected from Gulf of Mexico beaches from Florida to Alabama over a three-year period from 2012 to 2014. Analysis of oil residues by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID), thin-layer chromatography with flame ionization detection (TLC-FID), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) indicated uniformity in their chemical composition. Some variability within and between samples was observed, arising from differences in exposure to light and water, which increase the amount of weathering. Oxygenated hydrocarbons (OxHC) produced by weathering processes dominate the majority of oil residues. These OxHC have continued recalcitrance in the environment, and increase in relative abundance over time. Analyses of the bulk characteristics of oil residues via TLC-FID and FT-IR should be continued as these techniques provide important insight into the weathering state of oil residues. •Oil residues that persist on Gulf coast beaches have a fairly uniform composition.•Oxygenated hydrocarbons that dominate oil residues are recalcitrant.•Oxygenated hydrocarbons in oil residues increase between 2012 and 2014.
ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.10.029