A mesocosm experiment to determine half-lives of individual hydrocarbons in simulated oil spill scenarios with and without the dispersant, Corexit. (February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shi, Dawei; Bera, Gopal; Knap, Anthony H.; Quigg, Antonietta; Al Atwah, Ibrahim; Gold-Bouchot, Gerardo; Wade, Terry L.
• Is Part Of: Marine pollution bulletin. Volume 151(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Subjects: Water accommodated fraction (WAF) -- Diluted chemically enhanced water accommodated fraction (DCEWAF) -- n-alkanes -- PAHs -- Petroleum biomarkers; Marine pollution -- Periodicals; Marine Biology -- Periodicals; Water Pollution -- Periodicals; Mer -- Pollution -- Périodiques; Publications périodiques; Pollution des mers; Lutte antipollution; Electronic journals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110804
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-326X

Abstract

Abstract: Here, we report results from a 15-day mesocosm experiment examining changes in estimated oil equivalents (EOEs), n -alkanes ( n -C10 to n -C35 ), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and petroleum biomarkers. Water accommodated fractions (WAF) of oil and diluted chemically enhanced WAF (DCEWAF) were prepared and concentrations of oil residues determined on day 0, 3 and 15, respectively. Significant removals of n -alkane and PAHs were observed starting from day 3. The n -C17 /pristane and n -C18 /phytane ratios suggested that the n -alkane removal was due to biodegradation in the mesocosms. The ratios of C2-dibenzothiophenes/C2-phenanthrenes (D2/P2) and C3-dibenzothiophenes/C3-phenanthrenes (D3/P3) were found to be stable through the experiment. DCEWAF treatment had longer half-lives for most n -alkanes but shorter half-lives for most PAHs than the WAF treatment. Most petroleum biomarkers were stable throughout the experiment. However, depletion of TAS (tricyclic aromatic steroids) was observed on day 15 of DCEWAF treatment.