Author ORCID Identifier

Engel, Annette S: 0000-0003-2469-744X
Meyer, Buffy: 0000-0001-9321-1277
Mcclenachan, Giovanna: 0000-0002-3076-4795
Hooper-Bui, Linda: 0000-0002-4836-7288

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2014

Abstract

We measured the concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons in 405 wetland sediment samples immediately before the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster led to their broad-scale oiling, and on nine trips afterwards. The average concentrations of alkanes and PAHs were 604 and 186 times the pre-spill baseline values, respectively. Oil was distributed with some attenuation up to 100 m inland from the shoreline for alkanes, but increased for aromatics, and was not well-circumscribed by the rapid shoreline assessments (a.k.a. SCAT) of relative oiling. The concentrations of target alkanes and PAHs in June 2013 were about 1% and 5%, respectively, of the February 2011 concentrations, but remained at 3.7 and 33 times higher, respectively, than in May 2010. A recovery to baseline conditions suggests that the concentration of alkanes may be near baseline values by the end of 2015, but that it may take decades for the PAH concentrations to be that low. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Marine Pollution Bulletin

First Page

57

Last Page

67

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