PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Deepwater Horizon: Identifying harmful elements of persisting oil

2014-01-22
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Hillary Sanctuary
hillary.sanctuary@epfl.ch
41-216-937-022
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Deepwater Horizon: Identifying harmful elements of persisting oil

On 20 April 2010, a floating oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico called Deepwater Horizon suddenly exploded, leading to the largest accidental marine oil disaster in the world. Collaborating scientists at EPFL in Switzerland and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in the United States have analyzed the composition of eight oil-soaked sand patties that were collected along the Gulf shores from April until November in 2011. They determined and classified the chemical composition of these oil residues, showing that they contain harmful compounds. By identifying the compounds, it is now easier to assess their effects on wildlife. The results will be published on January 22, 2014 in Environmental Science & Technology.

According to earlier studies, about 535 000 metric tons of oil gushed into the marine environment after the collapse of Deepwater Horizon, although the amount is a topic of debate in current BP court negotiations. This is the equivalent of filling 300 Olympic sized pools. Almost four years later, the Gulf ecosystem is still enduring the impact, as reports of significantly decreased seafood catches, die-offs, deformities, and reduced populations of marine wildlife continue. But the extent of the damage due to Deepwater Horizon is difficult to estimate.

When oil leaks into the marine environment, some constituents dissolve into the sea or evaporate into the atmosphere. Other compounds in the oil persist and tend to lump together. These greasy residues can collect at the bottom of the sea or float to the sea surface and wash ashore as tar balls that can be ingested or absorbed by marine wildlife. It is known that some oil constituents can cause stress, impaired reproduction, abnormal development, reduced immune function, stunted growth, or death, to many species of marine organisms, depending on the level of exposure.

A Chemical Investigation of Persisting Oil

Yet little is known about the chemical composition and ecotoxic impact of the persisting, remnant oil that may last for months or years. "Understanding the composition of long-lasting oil residues is important for fully assessing the long-term toxicological impacts on wildlife, and this cannot be ignored," says scientist Samuel Arey, who works jointly at EPFL and Eawag.

EPFL/Eawag and WHOI scientists are tackling this question by deciphering the elusive chemical composition of these oily sand patties. The toxicology of long-lived oil residues is usually overlooked because their chemical composition is difficult to elucidate. Using new laboratory and data analysis techniques, the team resolved and quantified many of the chemical constituents in these samples.

They found that these lumps of oil-soaked sand contain large amounts of water-repelling hydrocarbons known as saturates that can be classified into different sub-groups. Of the eight samples studied by the scientists, the most weathered one consisted of saturated hydrocarbons (26%), oxygenated hydrocarbons (66%), and aromatic hydrocarbons (7%).

The study targeted the most abundant compounds in the residual oil, dissecting their composition with unprecedented accuracy. This is important for understanding the environmental impact of persisting oil remnants, because ecotoxicologists have demonstrated that all three chemical groups can be harmful to living organisms. More worrisome, relatively little is known about the broader toxicity of saturates and oxygenated hydrocarbons in the marine ecosystem, like the Gulf of Mexico – where there are 223 offshore oil rigs – even though these compounds constitute most of the persisting oil.



INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Asthma: DMP is largely consistent with guidelines

2014-01-22
Asthma: DMP is largely consistent with guidelines Current guidelines are more detailed regarding some aspects of treatment On 22 January 2014 the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) published the ...

Men forget most

2014-01-22
Men forget most Gender differences in memory If your husband is absent-minded, forgets your wedding anniversary or the name of your new neighbor, don't worry. You are not the only one with a forgetful man in the house. Even researchers ...

Regenstrief, IU study: Half of hospitalized adults over 65 need surrogate decision-makers

2014-01-22
Regenstrief, IU study: Half of hospitalized adults over 65 need surrogate decision-makers INDIANAPOLIS -- Nearly half of hospitalized American adults age 65 and older require decision-making assistance from family members or other surrogates because the patient is ...

Virginia Tech-led pest-control plan saves up to $309 million for Indian farmers, consumers

2014-01-22
Virginia Tech-led pest-control plan saves up to $309 million for Indian farmers, consumers Benefits of natural pest-control measures may total $1 billion over 5 years Virginia Tech researchers who first discovered a devastating pest in India and devised a natural way to ...

Number of cancer stem cells might not predict outcome in HPV-related oral cancers

2014-01-22
Number of cancer stem cells might not predict outcome in HPV-related oral cancers COLUMBUS, Ohio – New research from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research ...

Who's to blame for obesity? Policymakers, the food industry, or individuals?

2014-01-22
Who's to blame for obesity? Policymakers, the food industry, or individuals? URBANA, Ill. – Fast food restaurants take a lot of heat for the rise in obesity in the United States, but is it really ...

Rice University laser scientists create portable sensor for nitrous oxide, methane

2014-01-22
Rice University laser scientists create portable sensor for nitrous oxide, methane Compact device has sensitive nose for greenhouse gases Rice University scientists have created a highly sensitive portable sensor to test the air for the most damaging greenhouse gases. The device ...

Seashells inspire new way to preserve bones for archeologists, paleontologists

2014-01-22
Seashells inspire new way to preserve bones for archeologists, paleontologists Recreating the story of humanity's past by studying ancient bones can hit a snag when they deteriorate, but scientists are now reporting an advance inspired by seashells that can ...

Toward fixing damaged hearts through tissue engineering

2014-01-22
Toward fixing damaged hearts through tissue engineering In the U.S., someone suffers a heart attack every 34 seconds — their heart is starved of oxygen and suffers irreparable damage. Engineering new heart tissue in the laboratory that could eventually be ...

Suburban sprawl accounts for 50 percent of US household carbon footprint

2014-01-22
Suburban sprawl accounts for 50 percent of US household carbon footprint Many U.S. cities are taking steps to grow urban centers in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But a challenge is the significant carbon footprint of spacious suburban living, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Korea University study identifies age 70 as cutoff for chemotherapy benefit in colorectal cancer

Study explores brain cell communication called ‘crosstalk’

4 beer and wine discoveries

Massage Therapy Foundation awards $299,465 research grant to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Chung-Ang University develops chloride-resistant Ru nanocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen production from seawater

Afghanistan’s August 2025 earthquake reveals the cost of international isolation, UN scientists warn

Shortlist announced for Panmure House Prize

Small nuclear RNA base editing a safer alternative to CRISPR, UC San Diego researchers find

Can Hayabusa2 touchdown? New study reveals space mission’s target asteroid is tinier and faster than thought

Millisecond windows of time may be key to how we hear, study finds

Graz University of Technology opens up new avenues in lung cancer research with digital cell twin

Exoplanets are not water worlds

Study shows increasing ‘healthy competition’ between menu options nudges patients towards greener, lower-fat hospital food choices

New insights into melanoma plasticity uncover a critical role of iron metabolism

A graphene sandwich — deposited or transferred?

New light-powered motor fits inside a strand of hair

Oil rig study reveals vital role of tiny hoverflies

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers boost widespread use of dental varnish across pediatric network

iRECODE: A new computational method that brings clarity to single-cell analysis

New NUS-MOH study: Singapore’s healthcare sector carbon emissions 18% lower than expected, a milestone in the city-state’s net zero journey

QUT scientists create material to turn waste heat into clean power

Major new report sets out how to tackle the ‘profound and lasting impact’ of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health

Cosmic crime scene: White dwarf found devouring Pluto-like icy world

Major report tackles Covid’s cardiovascular crisis head-on

A third of licensed GPs in England not working in NHS general practice

ChatGPT “thought on the fly” when put through Ancient Greek maths puzzle

Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air

GLP-1RA drugs dramatically reduce death and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis linked to increased risk of vision-threatening eye disease, study finds

Reprogramming obesity: New drug from Italian biotech aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity

[Press-News.org] Deepwater Horizon: Identifying harmful elements of persisting oil