Biogeochemistry of aromatic and saturated hydrocarbons in a rocky intertidal marine community in the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Thesis/Dissertation · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6081069

Clark, Jr, R C

Seasonal distributions of aromatic and saturated hydrocarbons were determined in important members of a rocky intertidal marine community remote from known sources of petroleum input. Nine major species were sampled quarterly for four years at Freshwater Bay, west of Port Angeles on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. More than seventy physical and chemical parameters were obtained for use in evaluating seasonal, annual, and interspecies trends. A simplified food chain study using /sup 3/H-naphthalane added to a seawater-phytoplankton-herbivore-carnivore system demonstrated the transfer of an aromatic petroleum-type hydrocarbon from seawater to organisms typically found in a stable rocky intertidal community. The phytoplankton and herbivore showed a biomagnification of /sup 3/H-naphthalene in the food chain, but the carnivore did not, possibly due to metabolism of the labelled aromatic hydrocarbon and subsequent discharge of water-soluble radioactive products. These studies suggest that aromatic hydrocarbons may be good indicators of short-term petroleum contamination only in species without enzymatic detoxification pathways. Saturated hydrocarbons tend to be better longer-term indicators. Saturated hydrocarbons do not show statistically significant seasonal variations. While organisms displayed some seasonal variations in aromatic hydrocarbons, no universally consistent relationship between seasonal patterns in different organisms was observed. When exposed to spilled oil, organisms similar to Freshwater Bay populations took up different amounts of petroleum hydrocarbons according to type of oil, spill location, duration, and intensity of exposure.

• OSTI ID: 6081069
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
HYDROCARBONS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
OIL SPILLS
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
AROMATICS
FOOD CHAINS
PETROLEUM
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MASS TRANSFER
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology