GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND THE SPONSORS' PERSPECTIVE ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE CHEMICAL RESPONSE TO OIL SPILLS: ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS RESEARCH FORUM (CROSERF)

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (2) ◽  
pp. 1257-1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don V. Aurand ◽  
Robin Jamail ◽  
Richard R. Lessard ◽  
George Henderson ◽  
Michael Sowby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Complete Information ◽  
Ecological Effects ◽  
Cooperative Research ◽  
International Agencies ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Dispersed Oil ◽  
Chemical Response

ABSTRACT In the summer of 1994, a group of organizations sponsoring research related to the environmental effects of chemical oil spill treating agents organized a working group to coordinate their research activities in this area. The purpose of Chemical Response to Oil Spills: Ecological Effects Research Forum (CROSERF), as defined at the first meeting, was to provide a mechanism for the exchange of ideas and coordination of research to state, federal, and international agencies; industry; academic researchers; and consultants engaged in research on the ecological effects of oil spill response chemicals, especially dispersants. Each of the primary sponsors had its own objectives for the program, and contributed to the design of the cooperative research efforts. Over the past 7 years, there have been nine CROSERF meetings, each serving to direct the research efforts and resolve issues of importance to all of the participants. Most of the program objectives were achieved, but declining research funds limited the scope of the toxicity-testing program. Nevertheless, the forum provided the means for resolving dispersant and dispersed oil toxicity issues and encouraging communication among participants. The laboratory toxicity data generated by CROSERF is the most complete information currently available for multiple oils and species.

A REVIEW OF EXPERIMENTAL SHORELINE OIL SPILLS

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 (1) ◽  
pp. 583-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Baker ◽  
D. I. Little ◽  
E. H. Owens
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Ecological Effects ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Shoreline Protection ◽  
Oil Type

ABSTRACT Oil spill research and development has involved a large number of experiments to evaluate the effectiveness and the effects of marine shoreline protection and cleanup techniques. Considerable knowledge has accumulated from laboratory and wave tank studies, and there have also been a number of field experiments, in which oil was intentionally spilled on shorelines under controlled conditions. This review summarizes those field experiments, which are grouped in five major habitat types: rocky intertidal, cobble/pebble/gravel, sand/mud, saltmarshes, and mangroves/seagrasses. Tables included in the paper itemize the oil type and volume, location and substrate character, number and size of plots, response techniques tested, and referenced publications. This information is then used to combine understanding of the effectiveness of cleanup with understanding of the ecological effects of cleanup methods, compared with those of untreated oil. It is very difficult to achieve this type of information and understanding from toxicity testing or from spills of opportunity.

OIL SPILL CLEANUP WITH DISPERSANTS: A BOOMED OIL SPILL EXPERIMENT

1981 ◽  
Vol 1981 (1) ◽  
pp. 263-268
Author(s):  
Joseph Buckley ◽  
David Green ◽  
Blair Humphrey
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Visual Observation ◽  
Oil Droplets ◽  
Oil Boom ◽  
Dispersed Oil ◽  
Vertical Density ◽  
Oil Spill Cleanup

ABSTRACT Three experimental oil spills of 200, 400, and 200 litres (l) were conducted in October, 1978, in a semiprotected coastal area on Canada's west coast. The surface slicks were restrained with a Bennett inshore oil boom. The spilled oil was chemically dispersed using Corexit 9527, applied as a 10-percent solution in sea water and sprayed from a boat. The dispersed oil was monitored fluorometrically for some hours. Surface and dispersed oil were sampled for chemical analysis. The highest recorded concentration of dispersed oil was 1 part per million (ppm). After a short time (30 minutes), concentrations around 0.05 ppm were normal, decreasing to background within 5 hours. The concentrations were low compared to those expected for complete dispersion which, as visual observation confirmed, was not achieved. The dispersed oil did not mix deeper into the water column with the passage of time, in contrast to predicted behaviour and in spite of the lack of a significant vertical density gradient in the sea water. This was attributed to the buoyancy of the dispersed oil droplets and the limited vertical turbulence in the coastal locale of the experiment. The integrated quantity of oil in the water column decreased more rapidly than either the mean oil concentration of the cloud or the maximum concentration indicating that some of the dispersed oil was rising back to the surface. The surfacing of dispersed oil was confirmed visually during the experiment. The mixing action of the spray boat and breaker boards apparently created large oil droplets that did not form a stable dispersion. Horizontal diffusion of the dispersed oil was initially more rapid than expected, but the rate of spreading did not increase with time as predicted. The results imply that the scale of diffusion was larger than the scale of turbulence which again can be attributed to the locale of the experiment.

DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF DTox: A QUANTITATIVE DATABASE OF THE TOXICITY OF DISPERSANTS AND CHEMICALLY DISPERSED OIL

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 733-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana C. Bejarano ◽  
Valerie Chu ◽  
Jeff Dahlin ◽  
Jim Farr
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
Toxicity Data ◽  
Dispersed Oil ◽  
Chemically Dispersed Oil ◽  
Data Source ◽  
High Concentrations

ABSTRACT The Deepwater Horizon oil spill revived discussions on the use of dispersants as an oil spill countermeasure. One of the greatest concerns regarding the use of dispersants deals with potential exposure of water column organisms to high concentrations of oil. While toxicity data on dispersants and physically and chemically dispersed oil have been generated for decades under controlled laboratory conditions, the practical use of this information has been limited by the lack of a centralized data repository. As a result, the Dispersant and Chemically Dispersed Oil Toxicity Database (DTox) was created to address that shared need of unrestricted and rapid access to toxicity data. DTox is a quantitative database that gathers existing toxicity data through a careful review and compilation of data extracted from the peer-review and gray literature. Through a rigorously evaluation of the quality of each data source, this database contains pertinent information including species scientific name, life stage tested, dispersant name, exposure type, oil weathering stage, exposure duration, etc. More importantly, this database contains effects concentrations reported on measured or nominal basis. Within the database, each data source is assigned an applicability score based on their relevance to oil spills. Key criteria in the determination of source applicability include exposure type, reported effects concentrations, and reported analytical chemistry. Information in DTox has been further integrated into a user-friendly tool that allows for on-the-fly data searches and data plotting in the form of Species Sensitivity Distributions. To date, +400 papers have been evaluated for potential inclusion into the database, and data extracted from +170 sources. Despite inherent limitations, existing toxicity data are of great value to the oil spill scientific community. Although toxicity data will never be enough to answer all toxicity questions regarding the use of dispersants, this centralized data repository can help inform decisions on dispersant use and can help identify data needs and gaps. The ultimate goal of this tool is its contribution to a better understanding of the biological effects of dispersants and oil in the aquatic environment.

Oil Spill Dispersants

1999 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Fiocco ◽  
Alun Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Limited Extent ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Dispersed Oil ◽  
Application Techniques ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Oil Spill Dispersants

Introduction: The purpose of any oil spill response is to minimise the damage that could be caused by the spill. Dispersants are one of the limited number of practical responses that are available to respond to oil spills at sea.When oil is spilled at sea, a small proportion will be naturally dispersed by the mixing action caused by waves. This process can be slow and proceed to only a limited extent for most situations. Dispersants are used to accelerate the removal of oil from the surface of the sea by greatly enhancing the rate of natural dispersion of oil and thus prevent it from coming ashore. Dispersed oil will also be more rapidly biodegraded by naturally occurring microorganisms. The rationale for dispersant use is that dispersed oil is likely to have less overall environmental impact than oil that persists on the surface of the sea, drifts and eventually contaminates the shoreline. The development of modern dispersants began after the Torrey Canyon oil spill in 1967. Many lessons have been learned since that spill, and consequently the modern dispersants and application techniques in use today have become an effective way of responding to an oil spill. For example, the dispersant response to the Sea Empress spill in 1996 demonstrated that dispersants can be very effective and prevent a much greater amount of environmental damage from being caused (6). This chapter describes the chemistry and physics of dispersants, planning and decision-making considerations, and finally their practical application and operational use in oil spill response.

scholarly journals University Expertise and the Oil and Gas Industry: Development of Cost Effective Solutions to Applied Oil-Spill-Related Research Issues

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald W. Davis ◽  
Roland J. Guidry
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Research Issues ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Wide Range

Immediately after the Exxon Valdez incident, the United States Oil Pollution Act of 1990 was passed. This Act clarified the lines of responsibility associated with future oil spills. In addition to this Federal legislation, Louisiana lawmakers in 1991 enacted the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act. Financial awards associated with this Act support a wide-range of research activities. Since 1993, 24 projects have been funded. The scope and nature of this research includes: • Oil Spill Awareness through Geoscience Education (OSAGE); • Used Oil Recycling in Louisiana’s Coastal Communities; • Evaluation and Characterization of Sorbents; • Landsat TM and Synthetic Aperture Radar to Facilitate Coastline Delineation; • Environmental Effects and Effectiveness of In-Situ Burning in Wetlands; • Bioremediation Protocol for Small-Scale Oil Spills; • Oil Spill Risk on Louisiana’s Largest Waterway; • River Time-of-Travel Modeling; • Composting Technology for Practical and Safe Remediation of Oil-Spill Residuals; • Predictability of Oceanic and Atmospheric Conditions off the Mississippi Delta; and • Phytoremediation for Oil Spill Cleanup and Habitat Restoration in Louisiana’s Marshes. Each of these projects, and others, are the result of the marriage of industry and university researchers in the identification and solution of applied oil-spill-related problems. The alliance is a good one. Important environmental issues are addressed because the selection process ensures each research initiative has the potential of being implemented by the response community. The work and knowledge gained from these projects is a clear indication of how industry and the university community can function in a collaborative manner to solve important issues — a significant partnership that clearly shows how both can benefit and a model for others to follow.

ENSURING THE MOST APPROPRIATE OIL SPILL TREATMENT PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE – A REVIEW OF TOXICITY TESTING AND APPROVAL ISSUES IN THE UK

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
pp. 829-833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark F. Kirby ◽  
Bryony Devoy ◽  
Robin J. Law
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Toxicity Assessment ◽  
Public Consultation ◽  
Regulatory Body ◽  
Approval Process ◽  
Specific Test ◽  
Current Test ◽  
Dispersed Oil ◽  
The Uk

ABSTRACT Oil spill treatment products in the UK are a key option in response scenarios. It is recognised that their appropriate usage can significantly reduce net environmental impact. However, the approval process for products in the UK is strictly regulated and all must undergo an approval process before they can be used in UK marine waters. This requires the product to pass both efficacy and toxicity assessments. The toxicity assessment comprises a ‘Sea and ‘Rocky Shore’ test and is primarily based on a toxicity comparison between mechanically dispersed oil (untreated) and oil under the same conditions but treated with the product. The premise being that the addition of product should not significantly increase the toxicity of the oil alone. The current toxicity and efficiency testing protocols have been in place for 30 years and the last review of the scheme took place in 1993. The UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are the regulatory body and have launched another review of the scheme during 2007 to establish whether the process continues to provide the most appropriate means of ensuring that safe and effective products are available to UK responders. The review will take the form of a wide ranging public consultation. Particular issues that are being considered include; the continued requirement for products to pass both toxicity assessments; the need to test dispersants as a type 2 (water-diluted) or type 3 (neat) separately; the need to approve products for specific use against different oil types, especially heavier fuel and weathered oils; the need to take into account the fact that many modern dispersants are effective at lower product:oil ratios than used in the current test process; the performance of products under different conditions of salinity and/or temperature; the need for specific test development for other product types (e.g. surface cleaners) or to make the process more efficient (e.g. combined efficacy and toxicity test). The UK Government wishes to ensure that responders have the option of selecting the best product for tackling each oil spill scenario providing that environmental protection is not compromised. It is intended that the outcome of the review will be to facilitate this even more so than at present. This paper will describe the background to the issues being considered in the review, why they may be significant and will give a preliminary overview of initial conclusions.

Development of the “Next Generation” Chemical Dispersants

1973 ◽  
Vol 1973 (1) ◽  
pp. 231-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard P. Canevari
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Development Trend ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Spontaneous Emulsification ◽  
Mixing Energy ◽  
Dispersed Oil ◽  
The Many ◽  
Spill Control

ABSTRACT In order to fully appreciate the development trend for the “next generation” chemical dispersants for oil spills, the current status of this field is briefly reviewed. Recent applications illustrate the specific beneficial potential role of chemical dispersants in the oil spill control, as well as their limitation. The present mechanism of dispersing oil spills by the application of chemical dispersants is well understood and is the subject of many technical papers. While there is some variation in the relative performance and toxicity of the many commercially available products, they all require mixing after application. In instances wherein the dispersant has been marginally effective, inadequate mixing was usually the reason. Thus, mixing is the limiting step rather than application. The mixing of an oil spill by boat propellers, fire hoses, etc., is laborious and time consuming. However, dispersant may be readily applied to large areas by aerial application similar to “crop dusting.” In some instances, the oil spill may even become inaccessible for convenient mixing (e.g., under piers, shallow water). Hence, the elimination (or minimizing) of the mixing step would be a major improvement in the dispersion process. The “next generation” oil spill dispersants will require little or no mixing energy and will approach spontaneous emulsification. The mechanism of “self-mixing” will be outlined in this presentation. Performance data comparing this generic type of chemical dispersant with the more conventional systems commonly used will illustrate the major differences. Another important aspect of this system is the resultant dispersed oil droplet size. The remaining concerns and other considerations requiring further study will be discussed.

DISPERSED OIL EFFECTS ON TROPICAL HABITATS: PRELIMINARY LABORATORY RESULTS OF DISPERSED OIL TESTING ON JAMAICA CORALS AND SEAGRASS

1989 ◽  
Vol 1989 (1) ◽  
pp. 455-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anitra Thorhaug ◽  
Franklin McDonald ◽  
Beverly Miller ◽  
Valerie Gordon ◽  
John McFarlane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spills ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
White Sand ◽  
The North ◽  
Dispersed Oil ◽  
Oil Toxicity ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACT The island of Jamaica experiences six small- to medium-sized oil spills per year. Major ports for petroleum entry are close to mangrove, seagrass and coral resources. Mangrove and coral habitats form important nurseries for fish and shrimp populations. The coral reefs and white sand beaches of the north and west coasts are the basis of the tourism industry, which generates $406 million U.S. dollars per year, and accounts for 55 percent of the island's foreign exchange earnings. Thus, protecting these resources from the effects of spilled oil is of priority to the government. Mechanical means are clearly not the solution in a variety of spills. Also, no maps exist to guide the on-scene coordinator (OSC) in oil spill management. To initiate a study of dispersed oil and formulate a command map, habitat-dispersed oil toxicity testing on three species of seagrasses, three indicator species of coral, and three mangroves has been conducted in Jamaica. Ten dispersants and their dispersed oil toxicity in these habitats will be ranked. In general, the coral toxicity parallels the seagrass response to the dispersants. Responses of the coral to intermediate-toxicity dispersants differed widely. Black, white, and red mangroves also were tested. This is the first time comprehensive among-dispersant and among-species dispersant testing has been carried out in the tropics.

Recent Studies on Fate and Degradation of Hydrocarbons Dispersed Subsea

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 271-290
Author(s):  
Victoria Broje
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
American Petroleum Institute ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Current State ◽  
Dispersed Oil ◽  
Oil Biodegradation ◽  
State Of The Science

ABSTRACT The goal of applying dispersants as an oil spill response technique whether at the surface or subsea is to minimize surface oil impacts to people, wildlife, and shorelines and to facilitate rapid dilution and natural degradation of the dispersed oil in the water column. Thus, reliable estimates of the fate and degradation of oil, dispersed oil, and, for subsea releases, gas are key considerations when selecting response techniques. The American Petroleum Institute (API) has sponsored research on various aspects of subsea dispersant injection for over 4 years. Three of the most recent of those studies further advanced our understanding of the fate and biodegradation of hydrocarbons dispersed subsea and are discussed in this paper. An effort to evaluate the latest dispersed oil biodegradation studies and biodegradation modeling algorithms resulted in an overview of current state-of-the-science for characterizing biodegradation processes in far field oil spill models and recommendations on improving these modeling practices. Another project examined the current state-of-the-science on oil sedimentation processes including “marine snow” formation in the context of oil spills and dispersant use. It was conducted in order to better understand dynamics, fate, and environmental impacts of oil sedimentation from the perspective of Net Environmental Benefit Analysis, NEBA (aka Spill Impact Mitigation Assessment). The third study conducted numerical modeling to predict the fate of light hydrocarbons with and without subsea dispersant use and to estimate the changes in air quality near a well site. The goal of this effort was to evaluate whether subsea dispersant injection can reduce surface volatile hydrocarbon concentrations in the vicinity of well-control operations to protect responders’ health and safety. These and other API projects advanced our understanding of the scientific and environmental aspects of subsea dispersant use and provide a scientific basis for inclusion of this technique into contingency plans.

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