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Biogeochemistry of oil in the ocean

Journal Article · · Oceanus; (United States)
OSTI ID:5230380

A synopsis of the fate of oil in marine ecosystems is given. One of the most comprehensive geochemical studies of a spill was the Buzzards Bay Study. Subtidal sediments still contained components of the No. 2 fuel at least five years after the spill. Slow, chronic dribbling of oil from sewage effluents contribute large quantities of fossil fuel hydrocarbons. These small spills have occurred at Narragansett Bay, in West Germany, Britain, France, Italy and estuaries and harbors in the United States. New York Bight sewage sludge was analyzed for concentration and composition of alkanes and cycloalkanes. Results show that petroleum pollution is causing the elevated concentrations of hydrocarbons. The major sources of hydrocarbons from the dump site area are contaminated dredge spoil and sewage sludge. The sediments of the study area of Buzzards Bay contain an historical record of the fallout of urban air hydrocarbons. It is highly unlikely that urban air fallout in the Greater New York area reaches the sediments at the New York Bight dump sites. Several of the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons or their metabolites from urban air fallout are known or suspected carcinogens or mutagens. Their concentration in surface sediments has increased over the last several decades. This reflects an increased exposure for the ecosystem through which they pass on their way to the sediments, as well as the benthic ecosystem where they reside. It may well be that ecosystems can adapt to these low concentration levels of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. 5 figures, 1 table. (DP)

OSTI ID:
5230380
Journal Information:
Oceanus; (United States), Journal Name: Oceanus; (United States) Vol. 20:4; ISSN OCEAA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900* -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400104 -- Spectral Procedures-- (-1987)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKANES
AROMATICS
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
CYCLOALKANES
ECOSYSTEMS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GEOCHEMISTRY
HYDROCARBONS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
OIL SPILLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
POLLUTION
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
SEAS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE WATERS
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION