Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-vvkck Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T00:49:14.951Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Contamination of the Bay of Biscay by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) following the T/V “Erika” oil spill

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 October 2004

Jacek Tronczyński ,
Catherine Munschy ,
Karine Héas-Moisan ,
Nadège Guiot ,
Isabelle Truquet ,
Nathalie Olivier ,
Sophie Men  and
Audrey Furaut
Jacek Tronczyński
Affiliation:
Ifremer, Département des polluants chimiques, rue de l'Ile d'Yeu, BP 21105, 44311 Nantes Cedex 03, France
Catherine Munschy
Affiliation:
Ifremer, Département des polluants chimiques, rue de l'Ile d'Yeu, BP 21105, 44311 Nantes Cedex 03, France
Karine Héas-Moisan
Affiliation:
Ifremer, Département des polluants chimiques, rue de l'Ile d'Yeu, BP 21105, 44311 Nantes Cedex 03, France
Nadège Guiot
Affiliation:
Ifremer, Département des polluants chimiques, rue de l'Ile d'Yeu, BP 21105, 44311 Nantes Cedex 03, France
Isabelle Truquet
Affiliation:
Ifremer, Département des polluants chimiques, rue de l'Ile d'Yeu, BP 21105, 44311 Nantes Cedex 03, France
Nathalie Olivier
Affiliation:
Ifremer, Département des polluants chimiques, rue de l'Ile d'Yeu, BP 21105, 44311 Nantes Cedex 03, France
Sophie Men
Affiliation:
Ifremer, Département des polluants chimiques, rue de l'Ile d'Yeu, BP 21105, 44311 Nantes Cedex 03, France
Audrey Furaut
Affiliation:
Ifremer, Département des polluants chimiques, rue de l'Ile d'Yeu, BP 21105, 44311 Nantes Cedex 03, France
Get access

Abstract

An investigation was carried out into the PAH chemical contamination resulting from the “Erika” tanker fuel spillage of December 1999 along the French coast of the Bay of Biscay. A qualitative and quantitative assessment was conducted of this contamination in water, suspended particulate matter, sediments, and in intertidal molluscs. The chemical composition of PAHs in pre-spill and post-spill samples was determined and used to distinguish the “Erika's” fuel as the source of PAHs in the coastal environment of the Bay of Biscay. Changes in concentrations of PAHs were also assessed. The GC-MS analysis made it possible to identify and quantify parent unsubstituted PAHs, alkyl-substituted PAHs (C-PAH) and sulfur heterocycle unsubstituted and alkyl substituted compounds (SPAH and C-SPAH). The results of this study demonstrated that heavily oil-contaminated shorelines, including beaches, rocky coasts as well as sandy sediments apparently became reservoirs of spilled fuel and these continued to contaminate seawater, suspended particulate matter and mussels with PAHs. These conclusions were borne out by the following observations: (1) the pattern changes in PAH composition after the “Erika” oil spill were consistent in all contaminated compartments (water, suspended particulate matter SPM, intertidal sediments and molluscs), (2) the compositional patterns of PAHs after the “Erika” oil spill in contaminated water, SPM, intertidal sediments and molluscs constantly included alkyl-substituted phenanthrenes, pyrenes, chrysenes and sulfur heterocycle compounds in higher relative abundances than those in the pre-spill samples of these compartments, (3) the relative abundances of different suites of PAHs at contaminated sites were similar to those of weathered “Erika” fuel, (4) consistent and visible temporal decline in concentrations for water, SPM and molluscs, (5) the geographical contiguity of the stations with high concentrations of PAHs in molluscs matched the extent of the shoreline contamination by the spilled fuel. The increase in the contamination levels before and after the spill, together with the significant change in the pattern of PAH composition provide evidence of the intense and long-term chemical contamination of the “Erika's” fuel and of the damage to natural marine resources resulting from such contamination by toxic oil components.

Keywords

Chemical contaminationWaterSuspended particulate matterSedimentsMarine molluscsNorth-East AtlanticThe “Erika” oil spill
Type
Research Article
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 17 , Issue 3: The "Erika" Oil Spill: Environmental Contamination and Effects in the Bay of Biscay , July 2004 , pp. 243 - 259
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD, 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bassin, N.J., Ichiye, T., 1977, Flocculation behaviour of sediment and oil emulsions. J. Sediment. Petrol. 47, 671-677.
Baumard, P., Budzinski, H., Garrigues, P., Dizer, H., Hansen, P.D., 1999, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in recent sediments and mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the Western Baltic Sea: occurrence, bioavailability and seasonal variations. Mar. Environ. Res. 47, 415-439. CrossRef
Boehm, P.D., Barak, J.E., Fiest, D.L. Elskus, A.A., 1982, A chemical investigation of the transport and fate of petroleum hydrocarbons in littoral and benthic environments: The Tsesis oil spill. Mar. Environ. Res. 6, 157-188. CrossRef
Colombo, J.C., Pelletier, E., Brochu, C.,Khalil M., 1989, Determination of hydrocarbon sources using n-alkane and polyaromatic hydrocarbon distribution indexes. Case study: Rio de la Plata estuary, Argentina. Environ. Sci. Technol. 23, 888-894. CrossRef
Dyrynda, E.A., Law, R.J., Dyrynda, P.E.J., Kelly, C.A., Pipe, R.K., Ratcliffe, N.A., 2000, Changes in immune parameters of natural mussel Mytilus edulis populations following a major oil spill (“Sea Empress”, Wales, UK). Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 206, 155-170. CrossRef
Fernandez, P., Vilanova, R.M., Grimalt, J.O., 1999, Sediment fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in European high altitude mountain lakes. Environ. Sci. Technol. 33, 3716-3722. CrossRef
Fernandez, P., Vilanova, R.M., Martinez, C., Appleby, P., Grimalt, J.O., 2000, The historical record of atmospheric pyrolytic pollution over Europe registered in the sedimentary PAH from remote mountain lakes. Environ. Sci. Technol. 34, 1906-1913. CrossRef
Galt, J.A., Lehr, W.L., Payton, D.L., 1991, Fate and transport of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Environ. Sci. Technol. 25, 202-209. CrossRef
Gschwend P.M., Hites R.A., 1981, Fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to marine and lacustrine sediments in the northeastern United States. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 45, 2359-2367.
Gundlach, E.R., Boehm, P.D., Marchand, M., Atlas, R.M., Ward, D.M., Wolfe, D.A., 1983, The fate of Amoco Cadiz oil. Science 221, 122-130. CrossRef
Jahns H.O., Bragg L., Dash L.C., Owens E., 1991, Natural cleaning of shorelines following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In: Proceedings of the International oil spill conference. American Petroleum Institute Publication 4529, Washington DC, pp. 167-176.
Law, R.J., 1978, Determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in water, fish and sediments following the Ekofisk blow-out. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 9, 321-324. CrossRef
Law R.J., Hellou J., 1999, Contamination of fish and shellfish following oil spill incidents. Environ. Geosciences 6(2), 90-98.
Law, R.J., Kelly, C.A., Nicholson, M.D., 1999, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in shellfish affected by the Sea Empress oil spill in Wales in 1996, Polycycl. Aromat. Comp. 17, 229-239. CrossRef
Maldonado, C., Bayona, J.M., Bodineau, L., 1999, Sources, distribution, and water column processes of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Northwestern Black Sea water. Environ. Sci. Technol. 33, 2693-2702. CrossRef
McElroy A.E., Farrington J.W., Teal J.M., 1989, Bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the aquatic environment. In: Metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the aquatic environment. Varanasi U, CRC Press, pp. 1-39.
Meador, J.P., Stein, J.E., Eichert, W.L., Varanasi, U., 1995, Bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by marine organisms. Rev. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 143, 79-165.
O'Clair, C.E., Short, J.W., Rice, S.D., 1996, Contamination of intertidal and subtidal sediments by oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In: Proceedings of the Exxon Valdez oil spill symposium, Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 18, 61-93.
OSPAR, 2000, Background reference concentrations (BRCs) and ecotoxicological assessment criteria (EACs) MON 00/5/Info.-E.
Peterson, C.H., Rice, S.D., Short, J.W., Esler, D., Bodkin, J.L., Ballachey, B..E., Irons D.B., 2003, Long-term ecosystem response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Science 302, 2082-2086. CrossRef
Rantamäki, P., 1997, Release and retention of selected Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) and their methylated derivatives by the common mussel (Mytilus edulis) in the brackish water of the Baltic Sea. Chemosphere 35, 3, 487-502. CrossRef
Short, J.W., Babcock, M.M., 1996, Prespill and postspill concentrations of hydrocarbons in mussels and sediments in Prince William Sound. In: Proceedings of the Exxon Valdez oil spill symposium, Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 18, 149-166.
Short, J.W., Harris, P.M., 1996a, Chemical sampling and analysis of petroleum hydrocarbons in near-surface seawater of Prince William Sound after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In: Proceedings of the Exxon Valdez oil spill symposium. Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 18, 17-28.
Short, J.W., Harris, P.M., 1996b, Petroleum hydrocarbons in caged mussels deployed in Prince William Sound after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In: Proceedings of the Exxon Valdez oil spill symposium. Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 18, 29-39.
Short, J.W., Jackson, T.J., Larsen, M.L., Wade, T.L., 1996a, Analytical methods used for the analysis of hydrocarbons in crude oil, tissues, sediments, and sea water collected for the natural resources damage assessment of the Exxon valdez oil spill. In: Proceedings of the Exxon Valdez oil spill symposium, Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 18, 140-148.
Short, J.W., Sale, D.M., Gibeaut, J.C., 1996b, Nearshore transport of hydrocarbons and sediments after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In: Proceedings of the Exxon Valdez oil spill symposium. Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 18, 40-60.
Tolosa, I.,Bayona J.M., Albaiges J., 1996, Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and sulfur/oxygen derivatives in Northwestern Mediterranean sediments: spatial and temporal variability, fluxes, and budgets. Environ. Sci. Technol. 30, 2495-2503. CrossRef
Tronczyński J., Moisan K., Munschy C., Truquet I., Dugrais L., Billard G., 2001, Études des empreintes chimiques et d'altération du fioul d'Erika échoué sur les rochers en Pays de la Loire. Proceedings of the Conference Technical lessons learned from the Erika casualty and other oil spills. CEDRE, Brest.
Vallack, H.W., Bakker, D.J., Brandt, I., Broström Lunden, E., Brouwer, A., Bull, K.R., Gough, C., Guardans, R., Holoubek, I., Jansson, B., Koch, R., Kuylenstierna, J., Lecloux, A., Mackay, D., McCutcheon, P., Mocarelli, P., Taalman, R.D.F., 1998, Controlling persistent organic pollutants - what next? Environ. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 6, 143-175. CrossRef
Wang, Z., Fingas, M., Landriault, M., Sigouin, L., Feng, Y., Mullin, J., 1997, Using systemic and comparative analytical data to identify the source of an unknown oil on contaminated birds. J. Chromatogr. 775, 251-265. CrossRef
Wang, Z., Fingas, M., Shu, Y.Y., Sigouin, L., Landriault, M., Lambert, P., Turpin, R., Campagna, P., Mullin, J., 1999, Quantitative characterization of PAHs in burn residue and soot samples and differentiation of pyrogenic PAHs from petrogenic PAHs – the 1994 Mobile burn study. Environ. Sci. Technol. 33, 3100-3109. CrossRef
Wolfe, D.A., Hameedi, M.J., Galt, J.A., Watabayashi, G., Short, J., O'Claire, C., Rice, S., Michel, J., Payne, J.R., Braddock, J., Hanna, S., Sale, D., 1994, The fate of the oil spilled from the Exxon Valdez. Environ. Sci. Technol. 28, 561A-568A. CrossRef