Background Levels of Petroleum Residues in the Canadian Arctic Marine Environment

1986 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Levy
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Particulate Material ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Surface Microlayer ◽  
Background Levels ◽  
Related Substances ◽  
Petroleum Residues ◽  
Sea Surface Microlayer

The background levels of petroleum-related substances present as solid particulate material floating on the sea surface, as dissolved/dispersed residues in the sea surface microlayer and in the water column, and as substances in surficial bottom sediments have been measured throughout much of the Canadian arctic marine environment. The region is presently devoid of floating particulate petroleum residues, and the background levels of dissolved/dispersed petroleum residues are generally less than 30 µg/l in the surface microlayer and less than 0.5 µg/l in the water column. Concentrations of extractable residues are generally less than 5 µg/g in the sediments. In all cases, the existing background levels are well below those which have detrimental effects on living marine resources.

Baseline Levels of Volatile Hydrocarbons and Petroleum Residues in the Waters and Sediments of the Grand Banks

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (S2) ◽  
pp. s23-s33 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Levy
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Bottom Sediments ◽  
Geometric Mean ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Surface Microlayer ◽  
Grand Banks ◽  
Volatile Hydrocarbons ◽  
Petroleum Residues ◽  
Sea Surface Microlayer ◽  
Baseline Levels

Baseline levels of low molecular weight volatile hydrocarbons and petroleum residues in the Grand Banks area were measured in April 1981 with a focus on the Hibernia and South Tempest sites where exploration for oil was occurring. Concentrations of volatile hydrocarbons ranged from 0.41 to 1.80 nmol/L (geometric mean = 0.74 nmol/L) in the water column and 0.05–3.20 mmol/L in the surficial bottom sediments. The former, almost exclusively methane, were of recent biological origin, while the latter, which also contained ethane, propane, and butane, were probably related to petroleum. There was no visible evidence of surface slicks at the time, and floating particulate petroleum residues were absent from most locations. Concentrations of dissolved/dispersed petroleum residues in the sea surface microlayer ranged from 14 to 440 μg/L (geometric mean = 28.9 μg/L) and in the water column from 0.05 to 4.1 μg/L. Concentrations of petroleum residues in the surficial bottom sediments ranged from 0 to 7.3 μg/g. While these levels are among the lowest found anywhere in the waters and sediments off eastern Canada and in the eastern Arctic, there was evidence that the oil industry, even at the level of its activity at the time, was having a detectable impact on background levels of petroleum-related substances in the sea surface microlayer and the surficial bottom sediments.

scholarly journals Supplementary material to "Ice nucleating particles in Canadian Arctic sea–surface microlayer and bulk seawater"

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria E. Irish ◽  
Pablo Elizondo ◽  
Jessie Chen ◽  
Cédric Chou ◽  
Joannie Charette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Surface Microlayer ◽  
Sea Surface Microlayer ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
Supplementary Material

scholarly journals Plastic Accumulation in the Sea Surface Microlayer: An Experiment-Based Perspective for Future Studies

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Galgani ◽  
Steven Loiselle
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Bulk Water ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Surface Microlayer ◽  
Surface Ocean ◽  
Marine Organic Matter ◽  
Sea Surface Microlayer ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The Impact

Plastic particles are ubiquitous in the marine environment. Given their low density, they have the tendency to float on the sea surface, with possible impacts on the sea surface microlayer (SML). The SML is an enriched biofilm of marine organic matter, that plays a key role in biochemical and photochemical processes, as well as controlling gas exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere. Recent studies indicate that plastics can interfere with the microbial cycling of carbon. However, studies on microplastic accumulation in the SML are limited, and their effects on organic matter cycling in the surface ocean are poorly understood. To explore potential dynamics in this key ocean compartment, we ran a controlled experiment with standard microplastics in the surface and bulk water of a marine monoculture. Bacterial abundance, chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and oxygen concentrations were measured. The results indicate an accumulation of CDOM in the SML and immediate underlying water when microplastic particles are present, as well as an enhanced oxygen consumption. If extrapolated to a typical marine environment, this indicates that alterations in the quality and reactivity of the organic components of the SML could be expected. This preliminary study shows the need for a more integrated effort to our understanding the impact of microplastics on SML functioning and marine biological processes.

Background Levels of Petroleum Residues in the Waters and Surficial Bottom Sediments of the Labrador Shelf and Hudson Strait/Foxe Basin Regions

1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 536-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Levy
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Bottom Sediments ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Background Level ◽  
Surface Microlayer ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Foxe Basin ◽  
Background Levels ◽  
Petroleum Residues ◽  
Concentration Levels

Background levels of petroleum residues in the form of particles floating on the sea and as substances extracted from the surface microlayer, the water column, and the surficial bottom sediments of the Hudson Strait/Foxe Basin and the Labrador shelf regions were measured during 1982 and 1983. No evidence of floating particulate oil was found in either region. Background levels of extractable petroleum residues in the surface microlayer were highly dependent on ambient sea conditions and ranged from 4.1 μg/L at the entrance to Hudson Strait to 28.3 μg/L on the southern Labrador shelf in 1982, and from 4.5 to 20.9 μg/L on the Labrador shelf in 1983 with the general background level at 8.13 μg/L. The background level in the water column in the Hudson Bay/Hudson Strait region was 0.46 μg/L in 1982 whereas that on the Labrador shelf was 0.42 μg/L during 1982 and 0.57 μg/L in 1983 (overall level of 0.51 μg/L). Concentration levels in the surficial bottom sediments depended primarily on the nature of the sediments and ranged from 1.9 μg/g at the eastern end of Hudson Strait to 52.5 μg/g on the continental slope east of Nain Bank with a general background level of 2.04 μg/g. These background levels are similar to those of other areas of the continental shelf off the east coast of Canada and are, presently, well below those known to have adverse biological consequences.

The distribution and fate of surface-active substances in the sea-surface microlayer and water column

2009 ◽  
Vol 115 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Wurl ◽  
Lisa Miller ◽  
Rüdiger Röttgers ◽  
Svein Vagle
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Surface Microlayer ◽  
Sea Surface Microlayer ◽  
Surface Active ◽  
Active Substances

scholarly journals Ice nucleating particles in Canadian Arctic sea–surface microlayer and bulk seawater

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria E. Irish ◽  
Pablo Elizondo ◽  
Jessie Chen ◽  
Cédric Chou ◽  
Joannie Charette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Surface Microlayer ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Distributions ◽  
Sea Surface Microlayer ◽  
Freezing Temperatures ◽  
Seawater Samples

Abstract. The sea–surface microlayer and bulk seawater can contain ice-nucleating particles (INPs) and these INPs can be emitted into the atmosphere. Our current understanding of the properties, concentrations, spatial and temporal distributions of INPs in the microlayer and bulk seawater is limited. In this study we investigate the concentrations and properties of INPs in microlayer and bulk seawater samples collected in the Canadian Arctic during the summer of 2014. INPs were ubiquitous in the microlayer and bulk seawater with freezing temperatures as high as −14 °C. A strong negative correlation (R = −0.7, p = 0.02) was observed between salinity and freezing temperatures (after correction for freezing depression by the salts). One possible explanation is that INPs were associated with melting sea ice. Heat and filtration treatments of the samples show that the INPs were likely biological materials with sizes between 0.02 μm and 0.2 μm in diameter, consistent with previous measurements off the coast of North America and near Greenland in the Arctic. The concentrations of INPs in the microlayer and bulk seawater were consistent with previous measurements at several other locations off the coast of North America. However, our average microlayer concentration was lower than previous observations made near Greenland in the Arctic. This difference could not be explained by chlorophyll a concentrations derived from satellite measurements. In addition, previous studies found significant INP enrichment in the microlayer, relative to bulk seawater, which we did not observe in this study. While further studies are needed to understand these differences, we confirm that there is a source of INP in the microlayer and bulk seawater in the Canadian Arctic that may be important for atmospheric INP concentrations.

scholarly journals Revisiting properties and concentrations of ice nucleating particles in the sea surface microlayer and bulk seawater in the Canadian Arctic during summer

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria E. Irish ◽  
Sarah Hanna ◽  
Yu Xi ◽  
Matthew Boyer ◽  
Elena Polishchuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Surface Microlayer ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
Sea Surface Microlayer ◽  
Seawater Samples

Abstract. Despite growing evidence that the ocean is an important source of ice nucleating particles (INPs) in the atmosphere, our understanding of the properties and concentrations of INPs in ocean surface waters remain limited. We have investigated the properties and concentrations of INPs in sea surface microlayer and bulk seawater samples collected in the Canadian Arctic during the summer of 2016. We observed that 1) INPs were ubiquitous in the microlayer and bulk waters; 2) heat and filtration treatments reduced INP activity, indicating that the INPs were likely heat-labile biological materials between 0.2 and 0.02 μm in diameter; 3) there was a strong negative correlation between salinity and freezing temperatures, possibly due to INPs associated with melting sea ice; and 4) concentrations of INPs could not be explained by satellite-derived chlorophyll a concentrations. Although the spatial patterns of INPs and salinities were similar in 2014 and 2016, we did observe some differences between the years, notably: 1) the concentrations of INPs were higher on average in 2016 compared to 2014; and 2) INP concentrations were enhanced in the microlayer compared to bulk seawater in several samples collected in 2016, which was not the case in 2014.

scholarly journals Ice-nucleating particles in Canadian Arctic sea-surface microlayer and bulk seawater

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 10583-10595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria E. Irish ◽  
Pablo Elizondo ◽  
Jessie Chen ◽  
Cédric Chou ◽  
Joannie Charette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Surface Microlayer ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Distributions ◽  
Sea Surface Microlayer ◽  
Freezing Temperatures ◽  
Seawater Samples

Abstract. The sea-surface microlayer and bulk seawater can contain ice-nucleating particles (INPs) and these INPs can be emitted into the atmosphere. Our current understanding of the properties, concentrations, and spatial and temporal distributions of INPs in the microlayer and bulk seawater is limited. In this study we investigate the concentrations and properties of INPs in microlayer and bulk seawater samples collected in the Canadian Arctic during the summer of 2014. INPs were ubiquitous in the microlayer and bulk seawater with freezing temperatures in the immersion mode as high as −14 °C. A strong negative correlation (R = −0. 7, p = 0. 02) was observed between salinity and freezing temperatures (after correction for freezing depression by the salts). One possible explanation is that INPs were associated with melting sea ice. Heat and filtration treatments of the samples show that the INPs were likely heat-labile biological materials with sizes between 0.02 and 0.2 µm in diameter, consistent with previous measurements off the coast of North America and near Greenland in the Arctic. The concentrations of INPs in the microlayer and bulk seawater were consistent with previous measurements at several other locations off the coast of North America. However, our average microlayer concentration was lower than previous observations made near Greenland in the Arctic. This difference could not be explained by chlorophyll a concentrations derived from satellite measurements. In addition, previous studies found significant INP enrichment in the microlayer, relative to bulk seawater, which we did not observe in this study. While further studies are needed to understand these differences, we confirm that there is a source of INP in the microlayer and bulk seawater in the Canadian Arctic that may be important for atmospheric INP concentrations.

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