TY - JOUR
T1 - Tracking the weathering of an oil spill with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography
AU - Nelson, Robert K.
AU - Kile, Brian M.
AU - Plata, Desiree L.
AU - Sylva, Sean P.
AU - Xu, Li
AU - Reddy, Christopher M.
AU - Gaines, Richard B.
AU - Frysinger, Glenn S.
AU - Reichenbach, Stephen E.
N1 - Funding Information:
This manuscript is dedicated to Dr. John Farrington to honor his recent retirement from WHOI. In addition, we wish to thank Mr. George Hampson for his assistance in varying aspects of this project. This work was also supported by funds from the National Science Foundation (IIS-0430835), the Environmental Protection Agency (R-830393), an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award (N00014-04-01-0029), the Petroleum Research Fund, and the Robert T. Alexander Trust. Brian M. Kile received support from the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program while a summer student fellow at WHOI.
PY - 2006/3
Y1 - 2006/3
N2 - Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) was used to investigate the Bouchard 120 oil spill. The latter occurred on April 25, 2003, when the barge Bouchard 120 spilled ∼375,000 liters of No. 6 fuel oil into Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. In order to gain a better understanding of the natural processes affecting the fate of the spilled product, we collected and analyzed oil-covered rocks from Nyes Neck beach in North Falmouth, Massachusetts. Here we discuss the data from samples collected on May 9, 2003, and six months later, on November 23, 2003. Along with standard two-dimensional gas chromatographic analysis, we employed unique data-visualization techniques such as difference, ratio, and addition chromatograms to highlight how evaporation, water washing, and biodegradation weathered the spilled oil. These approaches provide a new perspective to studying oil spills and aid attempts to remediate them.
AB - Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) was used to investigate the Bouchard 120 oil spill. The latter occurred on April 25, 2003, when the barge Bouchard 120 spilled ∼375,000 liters of No. 6 fuel oil into Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. In order to gain a better understanding of the natural processes affecting the fate of the spilled product, we collected and analyzed oil-covered rocks from Nyes Neck beach in North Falmouth, Massachusetts. Here we discuss the data from samples collected on May 9, 2003, and six months later, on November 23, 2003. Along with standard two-dimensional gas chromatographic analysis, we employed unique data-visualization techniques such as difference, ratio, and addition chromatograms to highlight how evaporation, water washing, and biodegradation weathered the spilled oil. These approaches provide a new perspective to studying oil spills and aid attempts to remediate them.
KW - Bouchard 120
KW - Bunker C
KW - Buzzards Bay
KW - Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography
KW - Difference chromatogram
KW - GC x GC
KW - Massachusetts
KW - No. 6 fuel oil
KW - Oil spill
KW - Petroleum weathering
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U2 - 10.1080/15275920500506758
DO - 10.1080/15275920500506758
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:31044434148
SN - 1527-5922
VL - 7
SP - 33
EP - 44
JO - Environmental Forensics
JF - Environmental Forensics
IS - 1
ER -