Oil Weathering and Sediment Toxicity in Shorelines Affected by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 551-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Page ◽  
Edward S. Gilfillan ◽  
William A. Stubblefield ◽  
Paul D. Boehm ◽  
Keith R. Parker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Sediment Toxicity ◽  
Sediment Quality ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Sediment Grain Size ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Field Samples ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

ABSTRACT Beginning in 1989, scientists supported by ExxonMobil conducted a number of scientific studies to assess the fate and effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on shorelines in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. The 1990, 1991, and 1993 field programs included concurrent sediment sampling for hydrocarbon chemistry and sediment toxicity. This sediment quality assessment found that spill residues on the oiled shorelines rapidly lost toxicity through weathering. The relative amounts of naphthalenes and chrysenes in the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the sediments were found to be good indicators of weathering and toxicity. Using a standard sediment amphipod bioassay on the field samples increased mortality above background was found at exposure levels above approximately 2,600 ng/g total PAH (TPAH) for oil that had weathered a year or more. For samples with TPAH > 2,600 ng/g, fractions of naphthalenes (R = +0.76) and chrysenes (R = −0.63) significantly correlated with amphipod mortality where samples with high mortalities (> 80%) were dominated by relatively high fractions of naphthalenes (median = 0.26), and the low mortality category (< 30%) was dominated by relatively high fractions of chrysenes (median = 0.24). The amphipod mortality data fit significantly to a logistic model. Estimated LC10 and LC50 values were approximately 4,100 and 10,750 ng/g TPAH, respectively. Sediment grain size and total organic carbon were also found to contribute to increased amphipod mortality and were covariates in the data analysis. As petroleum weathers through exposure to the environment and lighter hydrocarbon fractions are lost, the results of this study show that the Exxon Valdez spill oil rapidly lost toxicity as the fractions of chrysenes increased and fractions of naphthalenes decreased.

scholarly journals The Role of Petroleum Geochemistry in Defining Oil Spill Recovery: Examples from the Exxon Valdez Spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 291-298
Author(s):  
David S. Page ◽  
A. Edward Bence ◽  
William A. Burns ◽  
Paul D. Boehm ◽  
John S. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Sediment Quality ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Infaunal Community ◽  
Petroleum Geochemistry

ABSTRACT The application of petroleum geochemistry to determining the fate and effects of oil spills in the marine environment requires high quality data to allow source identification through fingerprinting methods and unbiased sampling designs that allow valid comparisons to be made to detect spill related effects in the presence of other sources of environmental stress. This is particularly important in long-term studies, where sources of hydrocarbons and other pollutants unrelated to the spill event and non-spill related environmental effects become far more important in defining the environmental status of the spill zone. In studies of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, petroleum geochemistry is used to identify the many sources contributing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to the marine environment of Prince William Sound (PWS), including the Exxon Valdez oil spill, oil seep residues, particulates from eroding organic shales and coal formations, forest fire fallout, recent biogenic inputs and past human and industrial activities. A sediment quality triad-based shoreline ecology program (SEP), begun in 1990, includes a random sampling component and worst-case non-random site component that provides chemistry data through 2001 to determine the fate and bioavailability of spill oil residues on the shorelines. Environmental half-life values for the PAH at oiled sites range from 2.0 – 7.4 months for upper intertidal areas. Analysis of mussel tissue samples collected at worst-case spill locations find PAH concentrations in the same range as reference site samples. The results of concurrent sediment toxicity measurements using standard bioassays defines a dose-response relationship for total PAH concentration (TPAH) having a threshold of effect TPAH of 2,600 ng/g (dry wt.) that agrees well with the onset of sublethal ecological stress as defined by reductions in infaunal community structure parameters.

1998 Shoreline Conditions in the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Zone in Prince William Sound

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Page ◽  
Edward S. Gilfillan ◽  
Sam W. Stoker ◽  
Jerry M. Neff ◽  
Paul D. Boehm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Petroleum Hydrocarbons ◽  
Sediment Toxicity ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Tidal Zone ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Random Manner ◽  
Ecology Program

ABSTRACT After the March 24, 1989 grounding of the Exxon Valdez and the release of 258,000 barrels of Alaska North Slope (ANS) crude oil into the marine environment of Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska, a number of scientific studies were conducted from 1989 to 1998 to assess the fate and effects of the spill. These included the 1990–1991 shoreline ecology program (SEP), which detected little measurable impact of the spill, except at certain heavily oiled sites. In 1998, these 1990 and 1991 studies were updated. The 1998 study found spill small remnants from originally heavily oiled sites represent a minute fraction of the total PWS shoreline area. Any isolated deposits of remaining oil residues from the spill generally were found at the top of the tidal zone and highly weathered and therefore in a form and location unavailable and non-toxic to biota. Between 1991 and 1998, the concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons at the “worst case” sites studied decreased dramatically. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations measured at these sites in 1998 were at least three times lower than the effects range-low (ER-L) sediment toxicity threshold values of 4,022 ng/g for total PAH. Mussels sampled at heavily oiled “worst case” sites in 1998 also had dramatically lower tissue PAH concentrations compared with samples taken in 1993, indicating low bioavailability of any hydrocarbons present and thus low risk to biota. Natural interannual variability in the structure of the biological infaunal communities is the largest, most consistent signal observed in this study, not any residual oil spill effects. The results of statistical analyses of the data (ANCOVA) indicated no continuing oiling effects in 1998. Consistent differences were observed between oiled and unoiled reference sites, but they were significant in only one analysis. These differences were unrelated to differences in the total PAH present among sites. Any observed differences are more likely related to the fact these “worst case” oiled sites were not selected in an unbiased, random manner.

Monitoring Recovery of Prince William Sound, Alaska, Following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: Bioavailability of PAH in Offshore Sediments

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 299-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry M. Neff ◽  
Paul D. Boehm ◽  
Roy Kropp ◽  
William A. Stubblefield ◽  
David S. Page
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Marine Fish ◽  
Sediment Accumulation ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Natural Oil ◽  
Mixed Function Oxygenase ◽  
Offshore Sediments

ABSTRACT We determined the bioavailability to sediment-dwelling marine worms of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with offshore sediments from 3 spill path and 3 non-spill path areas of Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska, 12 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The PAHs in sediments from 4 sites sampled in 2001 were primarily from a regional natural petrogenic background derived from organic-rich shales and natural oil seeps associated with sources southeast of PWS. Pyrogenic (combustion) PAHs, primarily from former human and industrial activities, were more abundant than petrogenic PAHs in nearshore sediments from 2 bays associated with past and current human activities. We performed sediment bioaccumulation tests with the six sediments and polychaete worms according to standard EPA protocols. All the PAHs had a very low bioavailability, as indicated by low values for biota/sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) in the worms. Mean BSAFs for total PAHs (sum of 41 analyte groups) ranged from 0.002 to 0.009. The worms exposed to spill path and non-spill path sediments bioaccumulated small amounts of 4- and 5-ring PAHs, particularly fluoranthene and pyrene; these higher molecular weight PAHs are responsible for induction of mixed function oxygenase (MFO) activity in marine fish, birds, and mammals. These results may help to explain in part why fish from throughout PWS exhibit induced MFO activity. Elevated levels of MFO activity cannot be used as evidence of recent exposure by marine fish, birds, and mammals in the sound to Exxon Valdez oil.

scholarly journals Nine Years After the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: Effects on Marine Bird Populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Irons ◽  
Steven J. Kendall ◽  
Wallace P. Erickson ◽  
Lyman L. McDonald ◽  
Brian K. Lance
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Marine Bird ◽  
Marine Birds ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Positive Effects

Abstract We compared post Exxon Valdez oil-spill densities of marine birds in Prince William Sound from 1989–1991, 1993, 1996, and 1998 to pre-spill densities from 1984–1985. Post-spill densities of several species of marine birds were lower than expected in the oiled area of Prince William Sound when compared to densities in the unoiled area. These negative effects continued through 1998 for five taxa: cormorants, goldeneyes, mergansers, Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba), and murres. Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) and Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) exhibited negative effects in 1990 and 1991. Loons showed a weak negative effect in 1993. Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) showed relative decreases in 1989, 1996, and 1998 which may have been caused by shifts in foraging distribution rather than declines in populations. Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) showed positive effects in most post-spill years. Murrelets and terns showed relative increases in 1993, 1996, and 1998. Generally, taxa that dive for their food were negatively affected, whereas taxa that feed at the surface were not. Effects for some taxa were dependent upon the spatial scale at which they were analyzed. Movements of birds and the mosaic pattern of oiling reduced our ability to detect oil-spill effects, therefore our results may be conservative. Several marine bird species were negatively affected at the population level and have not recovered to pre-spill levels nine years after the oil spill. The reason for lack of recovery may be related to persistent oil remaining in the environment and reduced forage fish abundance.

Comparative Toxicities of Polar and Non-Polar Organic Fractions From Sediments Affected By the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska

1995 ◽  
Vol 10 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 137-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Wolfe ◽  
K. John Scott ◽  
John R. Clayton ◽  
John Lunz ◽  
James R. Payne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Organic Fractions

Multivariate Analysis of Community Structure Over Ten Years Following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 285-289
Author(s):  
E.S. Gilfillan ◽  
D.S. Page ◽  
K.R. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Sediment Grain Size ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Biological Communities ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Animal Communities

ABSTRACT A 1990/1991 shoreline ecology program to assess the fate and effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound was updated in 1998 and 1999. This update included a sediment sampling program for organisms at “worst case” sites and at randomly chosen reference sites. Correspondence analysis (CA), a statistical method that examines animal communities in terms of their similarity, was used to define community structure Statistical analysis of the degree of similarity between communities was used to assess effects of site-specific variables (sediment grain size, total organic carbon (TOC) and wave energy), interannual variation, and degree of oiling. Interannual variability had a significant effect on community structure, whereas site specific variables and degree of oiling did not. Differences in communities between 1998 and other years were particularly dramatic. The importance of interannual change demonstrates the importance of multi-year sampling and of appropriate study designs for separating impact effects from the natural occurring environmental factors which affect biological communities.

scholarly journals Bald Eagles in Alaska Following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-233
Author(s):  
Marjorie J. Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Bald Eagles ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Rehabilitation Programs ◽  
Kodiak Island ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Despite initial concerns about the impact of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on bald eagles in Prince William Sound, accumulating evidence indicates that the area's eagle population is doing well. This paper presents and discusses the 1989 data collected during the Prince William Sound and Kodiak Island Eagle Capture and Short-term Rehabilitation Programs, as well as 1990 data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's operational field surveys.

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