Macondo-1 well oil-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Stephen B. Brandt (Creator)

Pamela L. Campbell (Creator)

Ginger L. Jahn (Creator)

David G. Kimmel (Creator)

Thomas D. Lorenson (Creator)

Benjamin D. McGlaughon (Creator)

Siddhartha Mitra (Creator)

Joseph P. Montoya (Creator)

James J. Pierson (Creator)

Michael R. Roman (Creator)

Robert J. Rosenbauer (Creator)

Kimberly Scalise (Creator)

Jessica Snyder (Creator)

Florence L. Wong (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Mesozooplankton (>200 mm) collected in August and September of 2010 from the northern Gulf of Mexico show evidence of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that distributions of PAHs extracted from mesozooplankton were related to the oil released from the ruptured British Petroleum Macondo-1 (M-1) well associated with the R/V Deepwater Horizon blowout. Mesozooplankton contained 0.03–97.9 ng g 1 of total PAHs and ratios of fluoranthene to fluoranthene + pyrene less than 0.44 indicating a liquid fossil fuel source. The distribution of PAHs isolated from mesozooplankton extracted in this study shows that the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill may have contributed to contamination in the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.

Additional Information

Publication

Other

Geophysical Research Letters 39 L01605 doi:10.1029/2011GL049505.

Date: 2012

Keywords

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 2010 oil spill, BP, Oil spills, Deepwater Horizon, PAHs

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