scholarly journals GuLF DREAM: A Model to Estimate Dermal Exposure Among Oil Spill Response and Clean-up Workers

Author(s):  
Melanie Gorman Ng ◽  
John W Cherrie ◽  
Anne Sleeuwenhoek ◽  
Mark Stenzel ◽  
Richard K Kwok ◽  
...  

Abstract Tens of thousands of individuals performed oil spill response and clean-up (OSRC) activities following the ‘Deepwater Horizon’ oil drilling rig explosion in 2010. Many were exposed to oil residues and dispersants. The US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences assembled a cohort of nearly 33 000 workers to investigate potential adverse health effects of oil spill exposures. Estimates of dermal and inhalation exposure are required for those individuals. Ambient breathing-zone measurements taken at the time of the spill were used to estimate inhalation exposures for participants in the GuLF STUDY (Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study), but no dermal measurements were collected. Consequently, a modelling approach was used to estimate dermal exposures. We sought to modify DREAM (DeRmal Exposure Assessment Method) to optimize the model for assessing exposure to various oil spill-related substances and to incorporate advances in dermal exposure research. Each DREAM parameter was reviewed in the context of literature published since 2000 and modified where appropriate. To reflect the environment in which the OSRC work took place, the model treatment of evaporation was expanded to include vapour pressure and wind speed, and the effect of seawater on exposure was added. The modified model is called GuLF DREAM and exposure is estimated in GuLF DREAM units (GDU). An external validation to assess the performance of the model for oils, tars, and fuels was conducted using available published dermal wipe measurements of heavy fuel oil (HFO) and dermal hand wash measurements of asphalt. Overall, measured exposures had moderate correlations with GDU estimates (r = 0.59) with specific correlations of −0.48 for HFO and 0.68 for asphalt. The GuLF DREAM model described in this article has been used to generate dermal exposure estimates for the GuLF STUDY. Many of the updates made were generic, so the updated model may be useful for other dermal exposure scenarios.

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 281-283
Author(s):  
Cassandra Richardson

ABSTRACT A fundamental problem exists with waste disposal in marine-based oil spill clean up, as up to ten times more waste can be generated than the actual oil spilled. Lessons learnt are rarely recognised until the clean up operation has finished and oiled waste has accumulated. In 1999 the oil tanker Erika broke in two and sank off the coast of Brittany, France. Spilling 20,000 tonnes of Heavy Fuel Oil but creating 250,000 tonnes of oiled waste. The Author, during the Prestige spill has observed first hand how the handling and disposal of oily waste can have major implications for oil clean up operations. It can hinder the entire operation by causing bottlenecks and delays in further recovery of oil, unless suitable arrangements can be made. The promotion of a holistic approach to waste management is fundamental to effective oil recovery operations and should be incorporated into oil spill contingency plans. The paper will highlight the importance of developing a proactive waste management strategy, emphasising good practice and the key issues involved. The paper is supported by existing reports, the author's practical experience and a published document, co-authored, on current waste disposal options for IPIECA's technical document series.


Author(s):  
Peter Foxton ◽  
Martin Heubeck

SynopsisA brief description is given of the accident to the tanker Esso Bernicia that resulted in the release of 1174 tonnes of heavy fuel oil into the harbour at Sullom Voe. The measures taken to deal with the spill and the resulting oil pollution are described and their effectiveness assessed. Aspects of the environmental effects are considered with particular reference to birds, otters and sheep. Wide-ranging inquiries were made into the cause of the incident, the adequacy of the response, and the effects of the pollution. The actions that resulted are described. Finally the significance of the event is considered in relation to the subsequent development of oil spill contingency planning at Sullom Voe, and in the wider context of Shetland.


2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
pp. 327-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Elsarji

ABSTRACT The oil spill in Lebanon in August 2006 resulted in 15000 tons of heavy fuel oil covering more than 160 kilometers of beaches and sea floor of Lebanon. Bahr Loubnan is a Lebanese NGO who volunteered to undertake the clean-up work as a gift to the Lebanese people. Bahr Loubnan experts made a full assessment of the situation; divers explored the sea floor and located all patches of fuel that sank, as another team toured and assessed every affected beach. As a result, a detailed plan was prepared and submitted to the Lebanese government who gave its approval on Sept. 7th 2006. The clean-up crew cleaned any sunken oil found on the bottom of the sea and on two thirds of the affected beaches. The cost of the whole operation, including the cost of all needed equipment, protective gear, storage tanks, transportation and food, was less than half a million dollars. Local people who were hired to work in the clean-up operations were treated as partners in the project and not as “Laborers”. Fifty professional divers were assigned the job of cleaning the oil found on the sea floor. Sandy and pebbles beaches were cleaned by surf washing, which proved very successful. Powerful “Cachiers” pumping water at a pressure of 1450 bars were used to clean the oil off rocky beaches. The operation was a success. It would be impossible for anyone to distinguish between beaches that were polluted and those who were not.


2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 797-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Meudec ◽  
Jacques Dussauze ◽  
Eric Deslandes ◽  
Nathalie Poupart

ABSTRACT Coastal salt-marsh vegetations are directly exposed to accidental marine pollution by oil spill, as it was the case in winter of the year 2000 following Erika tanker oil spill in France. As petroleum is incorporated in sediment, it tends to coat aerial parts of plants. Among fuel hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the most toxic compounds known in marine organisms. Although their low water solubility, they can be taken up and bioaccumulated by plants. This work was conducted to determine whether PAHs, like naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene and benzo(a)pyrene, present in artificially fuel contaminated soils are transferred or not to aerial part of the coastal and edible plant, Salicornia fragilis. Sediments were mixed up with N°6. heavy fuel oil. Young plants of Salicornia were sampled in spring at the “Aber du Conquet” (Finistère, France), and cultured artificially in three different mixture conditions of oil and sediment: 0.2%, 2% or 20%. Two durations of culture were tested: one or five weeks. At the end of the culture, shoot are then cut off and PAHs concentrations were determinate by (GC-MS). Results showed that whatever the time of exposure and the concentrations of fuel oil in soil, significant PAHs concentrations were measured in Salicornia tissues. Phenanthrene and pyrene are the most abundant compounds. The particular morphology of Salicornia plants and the absence of PAHs in control also suggest that root uptake was the main pathway for accumulation of PAHs in this halophytic plant. By this capacity to uptake PAHs from fuel oil contaminated soil, Salicornia fragilis appears as a potential bioindicator of marine pollution by petroleum and may have a role in remediating contaminated soil.


Author(s):  
SJ Prasad ◽  
TM Balakrishnan Nair ◽  
T Vijayalakshmi

Abstract 684276 An assessment was carried out to judge the performance of the modeled ocean currents in oil spill trajectory prediction. Ocean circulation is the key factor in determining the drift pattern of the spilled marine oil pollutant. General National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Operational Modeling Environment (GNOME), an oil spill trajectory model, in diagnostic mode was set for simulating drift pattern of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO). On 28 January 2017, 0345 hrs, Indian Standard Time (IST), approximately 196.4 MT of HFO was spilled due to vessel collision. The oil spill model was set and run during 28-Jan-2017 to 05-Feb-2017 with 196 tons of HFO. Wind velocity fields were obtained from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The modeled ocean currents were obtained from High resolution Operational Ocean Forecasting and reanalysis System (HOOFS) with two model set ups such as Indian ocean (IO) and Bay Of Bengal (BOB). Ocean current pattern were also obtained from Hybrid Co-ordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and Global Ocean Data Assimilation System (GODAS) based Modular Ocean Model (GM4P1). The oil drift patterns were simulated individually for the spillage due to MT Dawn vessel, by forcing GNOME with the above said wind and ocean currents. Radar data obtained for 29-Jan-2017, from Sentinel -1A was processed for detecting oil slicks. The respective drift patterns obtained were compared individually with the oil slick signatures of Sentinel -1A on 29-Jan-2017. It was found that the drift pattern obtained while using the ocean currents of HOOFS_BOB was in better agreement with that of the observed slicks. Unlike other oil drift patterns, offshore spread of the slicks are well captured while using the ocean currents of HOOFS_BOB. This paper illustrates the method of oil spill trajectory prediction using various ocean currents and validating the simulated drift with the ground truth. It also emphasize the need of using various modeled ocean currents in assessing the performance of oil spill trajectory model.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 610 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. D. Gartrell ◽  
P. F. Battley ◽  
C. Clumpner ◽  
W. Dwyer ◽  
S. Hunter ◽  
...  

Abstract ContextSeabirds were the most common taxa captured alive as part of the oiled wildlife response to the grounding of the container vessel MV Rena in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. AimsTo describe the management of seabirds during the spill response, to outline the common problems encountered and to make recommendations for future responses. MethodsSeabirds were collected from 7 October 2011 to 14 January 2012. They were stabilised and underwent pretreatment, washing and rinsing procedures to remove oil, followed by swimming physiotherapy to restore waterproofing and long-term housing in outdoor aviaries. The birds were released in batches close to the original sites of capture once the wild habitat was cleaned. Key results428 live seabirds were admitted. There were two temporal peaks in admissions associated with the ship grounding and when the ship broke up. The majority of live birds were little penguins (Eudyptula minor; 394/428, 92%). Most seabirds admitted (393/428, 91.8%) were contaminated with heavy fuel oil, with the remainder (35/428, 8.2%) found unoiled but starving and/or exhausted or with injuries. Little penguins had lower mortality during rehabilitation (28/394, 7.1%) than other seabird species combined (27/34, 79.4%). Seabirds in poorer body condition on arrival had higher mortality, and unoiled birds were also more likely to die than oiled birds. In oiled little penguins, the degree of oiling on the plumage ranged from 1 to 100%, but mortality was not significantly associated with the degree of oiling (P=0.887). Pododermatitis affected 66% of little penguins. The most common causes of death (n=45) included weakness, anaemia and hypothermia in oiled seabirds (16/45, 35.6%), and starvation and weakness in unoiled seabirds (14/45, 31.1%). ConclusionsTotal survival to release was 87.1%, primarily influenced by the species involved and the body condition of the birds on arrival. Unoiled seabirds had higher mortality rates than oiled seabirds. ImplicationsOiled wildlife can be rehabilitated with good success, even when heavily oiled, or to a lesser extent, when found in poor body condition. More work is needed to refine species-specific rehabilitation protocols for seabirds, especially for those being admitted in emaciated body condition.


1985 ◽  
Vol 1985 (1) ◽  
pp. 299-306
Author(s):  
W. Koops ◽  
F. J. Sanders ◽  
J. M. Gubbens

ABSTRACT At about 15 km north-northwest of the Hook of Holland, the Greek tanker M.S. Katina collided with the French ore carrier Pengall on the afternoon of Monday, June 7, 1982. The collision caused a gash below the waterline in the No. 4 port cargo tank of the Katina which was loaded with 6,300 m3 heavy fuel oil. It was estimated during the first reconnaissance flight at eight o'clock in the evening, that between 1,000 and 2,000 m3 of oil must have been released from the Katina. Later, when the oil had been cleared up, it appeared that the total amount of leaked oil had been 1,630 m3. The dredger oil combat vessels Cosmos and Hein were in full action beginning at noon Tuesday, June 8, sweeping the oil from the sea surface. The Cosmos and the Hein swept up 800 m3 and 300 m3 of oil respectively (i.e., weathered oil with 30–50 percent seawater included). Especially on Tuesday a fairly large amount of oil was recovered by the Cosmos and the Hein. After that, it became more and more difficult to combat the oil, which became more and more scattered. As the viscosity of the oil became increasingly higher due to evaporation of the more volatile components, pumping became increasingly difficult and the capacity of the sweeping system decreased accordingly. After the Cosmos was dismissed, the Hein and the Smal Agt continued to combat the scattered oil slicks. In total, approximately 1,440 m3 were eventually removed from the sea surface, of which approximately 790 m3 was pure water-free oil. No further oil of significance was observed on Saturday June 12 and the opinion was that the combat activities had been effective at sea and the coast had been protected from extensive oil pollution. However, that Sunday oil washed up on the Dutch coast. The submerged oil, due to its higher specific gravity, floats invisibly under the water surface and was driven toward the coast by strong on-shore winds and currents.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 1647-1658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Wadsworth

ABSTRACT Experience has shown that the most time-consuming and costly component of a response to an oil spill is often the treatment or disposal of collected waste. The amount of waste generated is dependent on many factors, some which may be controlled more readily during the response. This paper analyses a number of important incidents as a result of which spilled oil affected shoreline resources with significant resultant clean-up effort. Spills of crude oil and of heavy fuel oil carried as cargo in tankers are reviewed to determine the types and volumes of waste generated and the clean-up methods undertaken to generate that waste. A comparison of the incidents will allow the most effective response methods to be determined, to show the techniques that generated the least volumes of waste. Data from DEEPWATER HORIZON is included to allow a discussion of the associated response. To achieve a practical comparison, the amount of waste is balanced against the amount of oil spilled to determine the oil:waste ratio. This ratio has evolved over many years into a long held guideline, used often for the purpose of contingency planning, that the amount of waste generated during an incident is approximately ten times the amount of oil spilled. This paper shows that with appropriate response actions, the guideline can be upheld.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 1085-1089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loïc Kerambrun

ABSTRACT Endless stretches of cliffs with deep coves and caves were coated with Heavy Fuel Oil during the Erika oil spill. Professional rope workers were called in to help clean the cliffs and the coves as most of them were located in protected reserves. This was the very first time that such a technique was used to clean up pollution and it turned out to be original if only because of the size of the job to be done. The clean-up operation lasted two and a half years, involved over 800 work sites and the rope workers cleaned up more than 50 of them. As a rule, cliffs that are hard to access are not cleaned up if only for safety and logistics reasons. There were various reasons why so many work sites had to be set up during the Erika clean-up, namely: the nature and the quantities of the HFO, the ecological, amenity and heritage importance of the area, the know how and the complementarity of the rope workers and the clean-up companies that continually improved their techniques and their efficiency as time went by. Thanks to compliance with rules and safety standards there were no accidents.


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