TY - JOUR
T1 - Marine biodegradation of crude oil in temperate and Arctic water samples
AU - Kristensen, Mette
AU - Johnsen, Anders R.
AU - Christensen, Jan H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015.
PY - 2015/12/30
Y1 - 2015/12/30
N2 - Despite increased interest in marine oil exploration in the Arctic, little is known about the fate of Arctic offshore oil pollution. Therefore, in the present study, we examine the oil degradation potential for an Arctic site (Disko Bay, Greenland) and discuss this in relation to a temperate site (North Sea, Denmark). Biodegradation was assessed following exposure to Oseberg Blend crude oil (100mgL-1) in microcosms. Changes in oil hydrocarbon fingerprints of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkyl-substituted PAHs, dibenzothiophenes, n-alkanes and alkyltoluenes were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the Disko Bay sample, the degradation order was nalkanes>alkyltoluenes (para->meta->ortho-isomers)>PAHs and dibenzothiophenes, whereas, the degradation order in the North Sea samples was PAHs and dibenzothiophenes>alkyltoluenes>n-alkanes. These differences in degradation patterns significantly affect the environmental risk of oil spills and emphasise the need to consider the specific environmental conditions when conducting risk assessments of Arctic oil pollution.
AB - Despite increased interest in marine oil exploration in the Arctic, little is known about the fate of Arctic offshore oil pollution. Therefore, in the present study, we examine the oil degradation potential for an Arctic site (Disko Bay, Greenland) and discuss this in relation to a temperate site (North Sea, Denmark). Biodegradation was assessed following exposure to Oseberg Blend crude oil (100mgL-1) in microcosms. Changes in oil hydrocarbon fingerprints of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkyl-substituted PAHs, dibenzothiophenes, n-alkanes and alkyltoluenes were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the Disko Bay sample, the degradation order was nalkanes>alkyltoluenes (para->meta->ortho-isomers)>PAHs and dibenzothiophenes, whereas, the degradation order in the North Sea samples was PAHs and dibenzothiophenes>alkyltoluenes>n-alkanes. These differences in degradation patterns significantly affect the environmental risk of oil spills and emphasise the need to consider the specific environmental conditions when conducting risk assessments of Arctic oil pollution.
KW - Biodegradation
KW - Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
KW - Marine arctic environment
KW - Oil hydrocarbon fingerprint
KW - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
KW - TOC graphic
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84935503865&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.06.046
DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.06.046
M3 - Article
C2 - 26159801
SN - 0304-3894
VL - 300
SP - 75
EP - 83
JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials
JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials
ER -