Toxicity of used drilling fluids to mysids (Mysidopsis bahia)

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6390559

Gaetz, C T; Montgomery, R; Duke, T W

Static, acute toxicity tests were conducted with mysids (Mysidopsis bahia) and 11 used drilling fluids (also called drilling muds) obtained from active drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S.A. Each whole mud was tested, along with three phases of each mud: a liquid phase with all particulate materials removed; a suspended particulate phase composed of soluble and lighter particulate fractions; and a solid phase composed mainly of drill cuttings and rapidly settling particulates. These muds represented seven of the eight generic mud types described by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The toxicity of the 11 muds tested was apparently enhanced by the presence of aromatics. Furthermore, one mud tested repeatedly showed loss of toxicity with time, possibly from volatilization of aromatic fractions. The data demonstrated that aromatics in the drilling fluids affected their toxicity to M. bahia.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Breeze, FL (USA). Environmental Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6390559
• Report Number(s): PB-87-169579/XAB; EPA-600/J-86/237
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Pub. in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 5, 813-821(1986)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DRILLING FLUIDS
TOXICITY
WATER POLLUTION
OFFSHORE DRILLING
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
PARTICULATES
DRILLING
FLUIDS
INDUSTRY
PARTICLES
POLLUTION
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)