Environmental contaminants in oil field produced waters discharged into wetlands

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:37467

Ramirez, P Jr ^[1]

---

1. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cheyenne, WY (United States)

The 866-acre Loch Katrine wetland complex in Park County, Wyoming provides habitat for many species of aquatic birds. The complex is sustained primarily by oil field produced waters. This study was designed to determine if constituents in oil field produced waters discharged into Custer Lake and to Loch Katrine pose a risk to aquatic birds inhabiting the wetlands. Trace elements, hydrocarbons and radium-226 concentrations were analyzed in water, sediment and biota collected from the complex during 1992. Arsenic, boron, radium-226 and zinc were elevated in some matrices. The presence of radium-226 in aquatic vegetation suggests that this radionuclide is available to aquatic birds. Oil and grease concentrations in water from the produced water discharge exceeded the maximum 10 mg/l permitted by the WDEQ (1990). Total aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in sediments were highest at the produced water discharge, 6.376 {mu}g/g, followed by Custer Lake, 1.104 {mu}g/g. The higher levels of hydrocarbons found at Custer Lake, compared to Loch Katrine, may be explained by Custer Lake`s closer proximity to the discharge. Benzo(a)pyrene was not detected in bile from gadwalls collected at Loch Katrine but was detected in bile from northern shovelers collected at Custer Lake. Benzo(a)pyrene concentrations in northern shoveler bile ranged from 500 to 960 ng/g (ppb) wet weight. The presence of benzo(a)pyrene in the shovelers indicates exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons.

• OSTI ID: 37467
• Report Number(s): CONF-9410273--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
ARSENIC
BENZOPYRENE
BORON
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
OIL FIELDS
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIUM 226
WASTE WATER
WATER POLLUTION
WETLANDS
WYOMING
ZINC