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Oil Spill (oil + spill)
Kinds of Oil Spill Selected AbstractsLENGTH-MASS AND TOTAL BODY LENGTH OF ADULT FEMALE SEA OTTERS IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILLMARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2002Lisa Mignon Rotterman Abstract After the 1989 T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS), the body condition of non-pregnant female sea otters (Enhydra lutris) ages 4 yr and older in the EVOS-affected region of western Prince William Sound, Alaska (WPWS), was significantly poorer than that of individuals captured in the same or adjacent habitat in WPWS approximately a decade earlier, and than that of individuals inhabiting unoiled habitat in eastern PWS (EPWS) between 1984 and 1990. However, the body condition of females of this age category captured in WPWS prior to EVOS was not significantly different from that of pre-and postspill EPWS females. The mean total body length (TBL) of non-pregnant females captured prespill in WPWS was significantly less than that of pre-and postspill EPWS and postspill WPWS females. Evidence from this and other studies suggests that the body condition of at least some classes of sea otters was negatively affected by one or more EVOS-related factors. [source] Early Socio-political and Environmental Consequences of the Prestige Oil Spill in GaliciaDISASTERS, Issue 3 2003J.D. García Pérez The controversial form in which the oil industry is run has once more caused a huge disaster , this one affecting the Galician coastal environment and economy. Oil-spill clean-up operations have been managed in Europe with some success but with considerable economic, environmental and social costs. The oil industry often avoids fully or even partially compensating those affected. The lack of both political will and political power has let the culprit (the oil industry) off the hook. This paper considers the spill of the Prestige to assess whether the balance of power between affected people and the oil industry can be changed. The paper examines the growing awareness of environmental issues among ordinary people in Spain, through the massive involvement of volunteers concerned with the damage done to the environment and to the livelihoods of fishing communities in Galicia. To understand these growing public concerns and the strength of opinion, the paper examines the details of the decisions taken by the central Spanish and local governments and the way these have informed the clean-up operations, the character of the oil companies involved and the feeling of impotence in the face of such disasters. The conclusion here is that the operations of the oil industry should be tightly regulated through EU legislation, and that this can come about as a result of organised political pressure from those affected by the oil spill, from the mass of volunteers, as well as from public opinion at large. [source] NIGERIA: Oil Spills IgnoredAFRICA RESEARCH BULLETIN: ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SERIES, Issue 6 2010Article first published online: 3 AUG 2010 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Eco-psychological profiling: an oil company exampleCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2004Tarja Ketola When organizational image is being challenged, use of psychological defences may become excessive. In this paper 18 defences that appeared in an oil company during an oil spill are studied. All defences except sublimation contributed to the deterioration of corporate image. Sublimation allowed the company to take responsibility. Other defences simply put off facing the truth. The selection of defences used during crises reveals organizations' true personalities. Twelve different organizational personality types are discussed. Use of certain defences leads to the development of a neurotic personality. The case company turned out to be normally and neurotically demanding, paranoid, narcissistic and attention seeking, and normally depressive. Organizations constantly using primitive defences are borderline personalities. Excessively defensive organizations may turn psychotic. The case company's reactions to the incident were psychologically revealing. Finding defences characteristic of the company allowed us to build its eco-psychological profile. Based on this case study an eco-psychological profiling model is proposed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Early Socio-political and Environmental Consequences of the Prestige Oil Spill in GaliciaDISASTERS, Issue 3 2003J.D. García Pérez The controversial form in which the oil industry is run has once more caused a huge disaster , this one affecting the Galician coastal environment and economy. Oil-spill clean-up operations have been managed in Europe with some success but with considerable economic, environmental and social costs. The oil industry often avoids fully or even partially compensating those affected. The lack of both political will and political power has let the culprit (the oil industry) off the hook. This paper considers the spill of the Prestige to assess whether the balance of power between affected people and the oil industry can be changed. The paper examines the growing awareness of environmental issues among ordinary people in Spain, through the massive involvement of volunteers concerned with the damage done to the environment and to the livelihoods of fishing communities in Galicia. To understand these growing public concerns and the strength of opinion, the paper examines the details of the decisions taken by the central Spanish and local governments and the way these have informed the clean-up operations, the character of the oil companies involved and the feeling of impotence in the face of such disasters. The conclusion here is that the operations of the oil industry should be tightly regulated through EU legislation, and that this can come about as a result of organised political pressure from those affected by the oil spill, from the mass of volunteers, as well as from public opinion at large. [source] Molecular detection of marine bacterial populations on beaches contaminated by the Nakhodka tanker oil-spill accidentENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2001Yuki Kasai In January 1997, the tanker Nakhodka sank in the Japan Sea, and more than 5000 tons of heavy oil leaked. The released oil contaminated more than 500 km of the coastline, and some still remained even by June 1999. To investigate the long-term influence of the Nakhodka oil spill on marine bacterial populations, sea water and residual oil were sampled from the oil-contaminated zones 10, 18, 22 and 29 months after the accident, and the bacterial populations in these samples were analysed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified 16S rDNA fragments. The dominant DGGE bands were sequenced, and the sequences were compared with those in DNA sequence libraries. Most of the bacteria in the sea water samples were classified as the Cytophaga,Flavobacterium,Bacteroides phylum, ,- Proteobacteria or cyanobacteria. The bacteria detected in the oil paste samples were different from those detected in the sea water samples; they were types related to hydrocarbon degraders, exemplified by strains closely related to Sphingomonas subarctica and Alcanivorax borkumensis. The sizes of the major bacterial populations in the oil paste samples ranged from 3.4 × 105 to 1.6 × 106 bacteria per gram of oil paste, these low numbers explaining the slow rate of natural attenuation. [source] Analysis of micronuclei in blue mussels and fish from the Baltic and North SeasENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Janina Bar Abstract Micronuclei (MN) were analyzed in erythrocytes of flounder (Platichthys flesus) and wrasse (Symphodus melops) and in gill cells of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis). The organisms were collected from three study stations in the Baltic Sea and from seven stations in the North Sea (Karmsund area, Norway) 4 times. The statistically significant differences obtained were related to the season, sex of the fish, and sampling locality. Higher MN frequencies were found in fish and mussels collected from the most polluted study stations in the North Sea. The same tendency could be described in the Baltic Sea; however, it was masked by the recent oil spill from the Butinge oil terminal. Our results showing higher MN frequencies in presumably what were the most polluted study locations suggest that MN tests in fish and mussels may be used for the detection of genotoxic effects in a marine environment. The endpoint is well characterized and can be easily recognized, and the technique is convenient to use in field samplings following standard procedures and protocols. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 365,371, 2004. [source] Genotoxicity related to transfer of oil spill pollutants from mussels to mammals via foodENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Sébastien Lemiere Abstract Heavy fuel oils containing high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were released into the marine environment after the Erika oil spill on the Atlantic coast. As highly condensed PAH pollutants can bioaccumulate in invertebrates, their transfer to vertebrates through the food chain was of concern. This study aimed to estimate potential genotoxic effects in rats fed for 2 or 4 weeks with the marine mussel Mytilus edulis contaminated by oil pollutants. Two levels of PAH contamination were studied, around 100 and 500 ,g of total PAHs/kg dry weight (d.w.) in mussels. Genotoxic damage in rats was investigated by single-cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay) and micronucleus assays in liver, bone marrow, and peripheral blood. DNA damage was observed in the liver of rats fed with the most contaminated mussels (500 ,g PAHs/kg d.w.).DNA damage also was observed in the bone marrow but less than that in the liver. A small increase in micronuclei frequency was registered as well. This work underlines the bioavailability of pollutants in fuel-oil-contaminated mussels to consumers and the usefulness of the Comet assay as a sensitive tool in biomonitoring to analyze responses to PAH transfer in food. The occurrence of substituted PAHs and related compounds such as benzothiophenes in addition to nonsubstituted PAHs in fuel oils and mussels raised the question of whether they were implicated in the genotoxic effects registered in rats. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 387,395, 2004. [source] Risk of weathered residual Exxon Valdez oil to pink salmon embryos in Prince William SoundENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2007Ernest L. Brannon Abstract It has been hypothesized that pink salmon eggs incubating in intertidal streams transecting Prince William Sound (PWS) beaches oiled by the Exxon Valdez oil spill were exposed to lethal doses of dissolved hydrocarbons. Since polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels in the incubation gravel were too low to cause mortality, the allegation is that dissolved high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons (HPAH) leaching from oil deposits on the beach adjacent to the streams were the source of toxicity. To evaluate this hypothesis, we placed pink salmon eggs in PWS beach sediments containing residual oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill and in control areas without oil. We quantified the hydrocarbon concentrations in the eggs after three weeks of incubation. Tissue PAH concentrations of eggs in oiled sediments were generally <100 ppb and similar to background levels on nonoiled beaches. Even eggs in direct contact with oil in the sediment resulted in tissue PAH loads well below the lethal threshold concentrations established in laboratory bioassays, and very low concentrations of HPAH compounds were present. These results indicate that petroleum hydrocarbons dissolved from oil deposits on intertidal beaches are not at concentrations that pose toxic risk to incubating pink salmon eggs. The evidence does not support the hypothesis that interstitial pore water in previously oiled beaches is highly toxic. [source] Alteration of normal cellular profiles in the scleractinian coral (Pocillopora damicornis) following laboratory exposure to fuel oilENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2006Luc Rougée Abstract Petroleum contamination from oil spills is a continuing threat to our ocean's fragile ecosystems. Herein, we explored the effects of the water-soluble fraction of crude oil on a stony coral, Pocillopora damicornis (Linneaeus 1758). We developed methods for exposing corals to various concentrations of crude oil and for assessing the potential molecular responses of the corals. Corals were exposed to water-accommodated fraction solutions, and appropriate cellular biomarkers were quantified. When compared to the "healthy" control specimens, exposed corals exhibited shifts in biomarker concentrations that were indicative of a shift from homeostasis. Significant changes were seen in cytochrome P450 1-class, cytochrome P450 2-class, glutathione- S -transferase-pi, and cnidarian multixenobiotic resistance protein-1 biomarkers, which are involved the cellular response to, and manipulation and excretion of, toxic compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. A shift in biomarkers necessary for porphyrin production (e.g., protoporphyrinogen oxidase IX and ferrochelatase) and porphyrin destruction (e.g., heme oxygenase-1 and invertebrate neuroglobin homologue) illustrates only one of the cellular protective mechanisms. The response to oxidative stress was evaluated through measurements of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase-1 and DNA glycosylase MutY homologue-1 concentrations. Likewise, changes in heat shock protein 70 and small heat shock proteins indicated an adjustment in the cellular production of proteins. Finally, the results of this laboratory study were nearly identical to what we observed previously among corals of a different species, Porites lobata, exposed to an oil spill in the field after the grounding of the Merchant Vessel Kyowa Violet. [source] Predicting single and mixture toxicity of petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to the copepod Oithona davisaeENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2005Carlos Barata Abstract In the present study, the acute toxicity of 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) associated with the Prestige fuel oil spill (Spain, 2002) were evaluated, either as single substances or in mixtures, in adults of the copepod Oithona davisae. All but dimethylphenanthrene had negative effects on O. davisae survival at concentrations below their water solubility, with 48-h median lethal concentrations for naphthalene and pyrene of 56.1 and 0.8 ,mol/L, respectively, making these the least and most toxic compounds. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons had narcotic effects on copepods, as evidenced by the lack of motility at lower concentrations than those causing death. Naphthalene showed the greatest narcotic effects, and phenanthrene showed minor effects. Acute toxicity of the tested PAHs was inversely related (r2 = 0.9) with their octanol,water partition coefficient, thereby confirming the validity of the baseline quantitative structure,activity regression models for predicting the toxicity of PAH compounds in copepod species. When supplied in mixtures, the toxic effect of PAHs was additive. These results indicate that the many PAHs in an oil spill can be considered unambiguous baseline toxicants (class 1) acting additively as nonpolar narcotics in copepods; hence, their individual and combined toxicity can be predicted using their octanol,water partition coefficient. [source] The Prestige oil spill.ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2005Abstract In vitro biodegradation of the Prestige heavy fuel oil has been carried out using two microbial consortia obtained by enrichment in different substrates to simulate its environmental fate and potential utility for bioremediation. Different conditions, such as incubation time (i.e., 20 or 40 d), oil weathering, and addition of an oleophilic fertilizer (S200), were evaluated. Weathering slowed down the degradation of the fuel oil, probably because of the loss of lower and more labile components, but the addition of S200 enhanced significantly the extension of the biodegradation. n -Alkanes, alkylcyclohexanes, alkylbenzenes, and the two- to three-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were degraded in 20 or 40 d of incubation of the original oil, whereas the biodegradation efficiency decreased for higher PAHs and with the increase of alkylation. Molecular markers were degraded according to the following sequence: Acyclic isoprenoids < diasteranes < C27 -steranes < ,,-steranes < homohopanes < monoaromatic steranes < triaromatic steranes. Isomeric selectivity was observed within the C1 - and C2 -phenanthrenes, dibenzothiophenes, pyrenes, and chrysenes, providing source and weathering indices for the characterization of the heavy oil spill. Acyclic isoprenoids, C27 -steranes, C1 - and C2 -naphthalenes, phenanthrenes, and dibenzothiophenes were degraded completely when S200 was used. The ratios of the C2 - and C3 -alkyl homologues of fluoranthene/pyrene and chrysene/benzo[a]anthracene are proposed as source ratios in moderately degraded oils. The 4-methylpyrene and 3-methylchrysene were refractory enough to serve as conserved internal markers in assessing the degradation of the aromatic fraction in a manner similar to that of hopane, as used for the aliphatic fraction. [source] Coping with technological disaster: An application of the conservation of resources model to the Exxon Valdez oil spillJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 1 2000Catalina M. Arata Abstract One hundred twenty-five commercial fishers in Cordova, Alaska, completed a mailed survey regarding current mental health functioning 6 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Economic and social impacts of the oil spill and coping and psychological functioning (modified Coping Strategies Scales, Symptom Checklist 90-R) were measured. Multiple regression was used to test the utility of the Conservation of Resources stress model for explaining observed psychological symptoms. Current symptoms of depression, anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder were associated with conditions resource loss and avoidant coping strategies. The Conservation of Resources model provided a framework for explaining psychological impacts of the oil spill. Future research is needed to identify factors related to recovery. [source] LENGTH-MASS AND TOTAL BODY LENGTH OF ADULT FEMALE SEA OTTERS IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILLMARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2002Lisa Mignon Rotterman Abstract After the 1989 T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS), the body condition of non-pregnant female sea otters (Enhydra lutris) ages 4 yr and older in the EVOS-affected region of western Prince William Sound, Alaska (WPWS), was significantly poorer than that of individuals captured in the same or adjacent habitat in WPWS approximately a decade earlier, and than that of individuals inhabiting unoiled habitat in eastern PWS (EPWS) between 1984 and 1990. However, the body condition of females of this age category captured in WPWS prior to EVOS was not significantly different from that of pre-and postspill EPWS females. The mean total body length (TBL) of non-pregnant females captured prespill in WPWS was significantly less than that of pre-and postspill EPWS and postspill WPWS females. Evidence from this and other studies suggests that the body condition of at least some classes of sea otters was negatively affected by one or more EVOS-related factors. [source] Bioremediation of marine oil spills: when and when not , the Exxon Valdez experienceMICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Ronald Atlas Summary In this article we consider what we have learned from the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS) in terms of when bioremediation should be considered and what it can accomplish. We present data on the state of oiling of Prince William Sound shorelines 18 years after the spill, including the concentration and composition of subsurface oil residues (SSOR) sampled by systematic shoreline surveys conducted between 2002 and 2007. Over this period, 346 sediment samples were analysed by GC-MS and extents of hydrocarbon depletion were quantified. In 2007 alone, 744 sediment samples were collected and extracted, and 222 were analysed. Most sediment samples from sites that were heavily oiled by the spill and physically cleaned and bioremediated between 1989 and 1991 show no remaining SSOR. Where SSOR does remain, it is for the most part highly weathered, with 82% of 2007 samples indicating depletion of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (Total PAH) of > 70% relative to EVOS oil. This SSOR is sequestered in patchy deposits under boulder/cobble armour, generally in the mid-to-upper intertidal zone. The relatively high nutrient concentrations measured at these sites, the patchy distribution and the weathering state of the SSOR suggest that it is in a form and location where bioremediation likely would be ineffective at increasing the rate of hydrocarbon removal. [source] Tracking the Gulf of Mexico oil spillASTRONOMY & GEOPHYSICS, Issue 4 2010Article first published online: 23 JUL 2010 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Efficacy of intervention strategies for bioremediation of crude oil in marine systems and effects on indigenous hydrocarbonoclastic bacteriaENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2007Boyd A. McKew Summary There is little information on how different strategies for the bioremediation of marine oil spills influence the key indigenous hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria (hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria, HCB), and hence their remediation efficacy. Therefore, we have used quantitative polymerase chain reaction to analyse changes in concentrations of HCB in response to intervention strategies applied to experimental microcosms. Biostimulation with nutrients (N and P) produced no measurable increase in either biodegradation or concentration of HCB within the first 5 days, but after 15 days there was a significant increase (29%; P < 0.05) in degradation of n -alkanes, and an increase of one order of magnitude in concentration of Thalassolituus (to 107 cells ml,1). Rhamnolipid bioemulsifier additions alone had little effect on biodegradation, but, in combination with nutrient additions, provoked a significant increase: 59% (P < 0.05) more n -alkane degradation by 5 days than was achieved with nutrient additions alone. The very low Alcanivorax cell concentrations in the microcosms were hardly influenced by addition of nutrients or bioemulsifier, but strongly increased after their combined addition, reflecting the synergistic action of the two types of biostimulatory agents. Bioaugmentation with Thalassolituus positively influenced hydrocarbon degradation only during the initial 5 days and only of the n -alkane fraction. Bioaugmentation with Alcanivorax was clearly much more effective, resulting in 73% greater degradation of n -alkanes, 59% of branched alkanes, and 28% of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, in the first 5 days than that obtained through nutrient addition alone (P < 0.01). Enhanced degradation due to augmentation with Alcanivorax continued throughout the 30-day period of the experiment. In addition to providing insight into the factors limiting oil biodegradation over time, and the competition and synergism between HCB, these results add weight to the use of bioaugmentation in oil pollution mitigation strategies. [source] Isolation and characterization of naphthalene-degrading bacteria from sediments of Cadiz area (SW Spain)ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 5 2008D. Nair Abstract Petroleum hydrocarbon contamination of harbor sediments from shipping activity, fuel oil spills, and runoffs are becoming a great concern because of the toxicity and recalcitrance of many of the fuel components. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of most concern due to their toxicity, low volatility, resistance to degradation, and high affinity for sediments. Microorganisms, especially bacteria, play an important role in the biodegradation of these hydrocarbons. The objective of the present study was to characterize and isolate PAH-(naphthalene) degrading bacteria in the coastal sediments of Cadiz (SW Spain), since this area is mostly polluted by PAH occurrence. A total of 16 naphthalene-utilizing bacteria were isolated from these sites. Introduction of bacteria isolated from contaminated sediments into mineral medium contributed to the increased rate of hydrocarbon utilization. The bacterial isolates obtained from these sites are very potent in utilizing naphthalene and crude oil. It would be interesting to assess if the selected naphthalene-degrading isolates may degrade other compounds of similar structure. Hence these isolates could be very helpful in bioremediating the PAH-contaminated sites. Further pursue on this work might represent eco-friendly solution for oil contamination on sea surface and coastal area. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2008. [source] Comparative study on sensitivity of higher plants and fish to heavy fuel oilENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2004N. Kazlauskien Abstract Laboratory tests were conducted on higher plants [garden cress (Lepidium sativum), great duckweed (Spirodela polyrrhiza), and Tradescantia clone BNL 02] and fish [rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) at all stages of development: eggs, larvae and adults] to estimate their sensitivity to heavy fuel oil (HFO). A number of biological indices (survival, growth, and physiological and morphological parameters) as well as the genotoxic impact (Tradescantia) of HFO was evaluated by acute and chronic toxicity tests. Fish were found to be more sensitive to the toxic effect of HFO than were higher plants. EC50 values obtained for higher plants ranged from 8.7 g/L (L. sativum) to 19.8 g/L (Tradescantia), and maximum-acceptable-toxicant concentration (MATC) values ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 g/L of total HFO for L. sativum and Tradescantia, respectively. The 96-h LC50 values ranged from 0.33 g/L, for larvae, to 2.97 g/L, for adult fish, and the MATC value for fish was found to be equal to 0.0042 g/L of total HFO. To evaluate and predict the ecological risk of the overall effects of oil spills, studies should be performed using a set of acute and chronic bioassays that include test species of different phylogenetic levels with the most sensitive morphological, physiological, and genotoxic indices. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 449,451, 2004 [source] Predicting survival of grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) exposed to naphthalene, fluorene, and dibenzothiophene,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2008Michael A. Unger Abstract The composition and persistence of dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) released to the water column during oil spills are altered by weathering, tidal transport, and addition of dispersants. Conventional toxicity effect metrics, such as the median lethal concentration (LC50), are inaccurate predictors of mortality from all toxicant exposure duration/concentration combinations likely to occur during spills. In contrast, survival models can predict the proportions of animals dying as a consequence of exposures differing in duration and intensity. Extending previous work with ethylnaphthalene, dimethylnaphthalene, and phen-anthrene, survival time models were developed that include exposure duration and concentration to predict time to death for grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio). Two additional PAHs (naphthalene and fluorene) and a heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (dibenzothiophene) were evaluated for the present study. Preliminary explorations of these models confirmed that quantitative structure-activity regression models were possible for predicting survival model parameters from compound characteristics. Conventional 48-h LC50s also were calculated for the compounds and combined with published LC50s to predict relative PAH toxicity to P. pugio based on octanol-water partitioning. [source] The role of biomarkers to assess oil-contaminated sediment quality using toxicity tests with clams and crabs,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2008Carmen Morales-Caselles Abstract A 28-d bioassay was conducted with two invertebrate species with different feeding habits, the clam Ruditapes philippinarum and the shore crab Carcinus maenas. The purpose of the present study was to assess the quality of sediments affected by oil spills in different areas of the Spanish coast. The organisms were exposed to environmental samples of oil-contaminated sediments during four weeks and, after the experiment, a suite of biomarkers of exposure was measured: The phase one detoxification system was assessed by ethoxyresorufin- O -deethylase (EROD) activity; glutathione- S -transferase (GST) is a phase-two detoxification enzyme but also is implicated in oxidative stress events; glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR), and the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay were analyzed to determine the antioxidant activity of the tissues. The biomarker results were correlated with the chemical compounds bound to sediments (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs], polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Co, V) and a principal component analysis was carried out with the purpose of linking all the variables and to detect those contaminated sediments potentially harmful to the biota. Results showed induction of biomarkers in both invertebrate species and significant differences (p < 0.05; p < 0.01) were established among sediments affected by different spills. The use of the selected biomarkers together with the sediment chemical analysis assesses the bioavailability of contaminants and has proven to be a suitable tool to monitor the environmental quality of sediments affected by oil spills. [source] Alteration of normal cellular profiles in the scleractinian coral (Pocillopora damicornis) following laboratory exposure to fuel oilENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2006Luc Rougée Abstract Petroleum contamination from oil spills is a continuing threat to our ocean's fragile ecosystems. Herein, we explored the effects of the water-soluble fraction of crude oil on a stony coral, Pocillopora damicornis (Linneaeus 1758). We developed methods for exposing corals to various concentrations of crude oil and for assessing the potential molecular responses of the corals. Corals were exposed to water-accommodated fraction solutions, and appropriate cellular biomarkers were quantified. When compared to the "healthy" control specimens, exposed corals exhibited shifts in biomarker concentrations that were indicative of a shift from homeostasis. Significant changes were seen in cytochrome P450 1-class, cytochrome P450 2-class, glutathione- S -transferase-pi, and cnidarian multixenobiotic resistance protein-1 biomarkers, which are involved the cellular response to, and manipulation and excretion of, toxic compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. A shift in biomarkers necessary for porphyrin production (e.g., protoporphyrinogen oxidase IX and ferrochelatase) and porphyrin destruction (e.g., heme oxygenase-1 and invertebrate neuroglobin homologue) illustrates only one of the cellular protective mechanisms. The response to oxidative stress was evaluated through measurements of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase-1 and DNA glycosylase MutY homologue-1 concentrations. Likewise, changes in heat shock protein 70 and small heat shock proteins indicated an adjustment in the cellular production of proteins. Finally, the results of this laboratory study were nearly identical to what we observed previously among corals of a different species, Porites lobata, exposed to an oil spill in the field after the grounding of the Merchant Vessel Kyowa Violet. [source] Exploring the diversity of bacterial communities in sediments of urban mangrove forestsFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2008Newton C. Marcial Gomes Abstract Municipal sewage, urban runoff and accidental oil spills are common sources of pollutants in urban mangrove forests and may have drastic effects on the microbial communities inhabiting the sediment. However, studies on microbial communities in the sediment of urban mangroves are largely lacking. In this study, we explored the diversity of bacterial communities in the sediment of three urban mangroves located in Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Analysis of sediment samples by means of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rRNA gene fragments suggested that the overall bacterial diversity was not significantly affected by the different levels of hydrocarbon pollution at each sampling site. However, DGGE and sequence analyses provided evidences that each mangrove sediment displayed a specific structure bacterial community. Although primer sets for Pseudomonas, alphaproteobacterial and actinobacterial groups also amplified ribotypes belonging to taxa not intended to be enriched, sequence analyses of dominant DGGE bands revealed ribotypes related to Alteromonadales, Burkholderiales, Pseudomonadales, Rhodobacterales and Rhodocyclales. Members of these groups were often shown to be involved in aerobic or anaerobic degradation of hydrocarbon pollutants. Many of these sequences were only detected in the sampling sites with high levels of anthropogenic inputs of hydrocarbons. Many dominant DGGE ribotypes showed low levels of sequence identity to known sequences, indicating a large untapped bacterial diversity in mangrove ecosystems. [source] Review on the effects of exposure to spilled oils on human healthJOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Francisco Aguilera Abstract Harmful effects of oil spills on diverse flora and fauna species have been extensively studied. Nevertheless, only a few studies have been compiled in the literature dealing with the repercussions of oil exposure on human health; most of them have focused on acute effects and psychological symptoms. The objective of this work was to gather all these studies and to analyze the possible consequences of this kind of complex exposure in the different aspects of human health. Studies found on this topic were related to the disasters of the Exxon Valdez, Braer, Sea Empress, Nakhodka, Erika, Prestige and Tasman Spirit oil tankers. The majority of them were cross-sectional; many did not include control groups. Acute effects were evaluated taking into account vegetative-nervous symptoms, skin and mucous irritations, and also psychological effects. Genotoxic damage and endocrine alterations were assessed only in individuals exposed to oil from Prestige. The results of the reviewed articles clearly support the need for biomonitoring human populations exposed to spilled oils, especially those individuals involved in the cleanup, in order to evaluate not only the possible immediate consequences for their health but also the medium- and long-term effects, and the effectiveness of the protective devices used. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Biostimulation strategies for fresh and chronically polluted marine environments with petroleum hydrocarbonsJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Maria Nikolopoulou Abstract Stimulation of indigenous degraders with suitable nutrients can significantly enhance bioremediation rates of marine environments polluted with petroleum hydrocarbons. Biostimulation is emerging as the best strategy for combating oil spills following first response actions. This mini review is focused on the conditions under which biostimulation leads to increased effectiveness and strategies for successful biostimulation to fresh and chronically polluted sites are suggested. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Stakeholder Perspectives about Marine Oil Spill Response Objectives: A Comparative Q Study of Four RegionsJOURNAL OF CONTINGENCIES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2009Seth Tuler Marine oil spills can cause major social, economic, and ecological disruptions. Spill response managers must weigh different options and objectives when deciding what to do. We investigated the ways in which preferences for spill response objectives vary among those who are responsible for oil spill contingency planning and response in Buzzards Bay, Delaware Bay, San Francisco Bay, and Washington State regions. We begin this paper with a discussion of the research method used in the study: the Q method. In Buzzards Bay, Delaware Bay, and San Francisco Bay three perspectives were identified in each case. In Washington State, two perspectives were identified. An analysis of the 11 case-specific perspectives reveals that they can be described by four ,composite' perspectives that describe how different stakeholders prioritize spill response objectives. These four perspectives are compared on several themes, including the emphasis they placed on mitigating economic impacts, protecting health and safety, mitigating ecological impacts, implementing a coordinated and timely response, addressing the needs and concerns of the affected public/communities, gaining public support for the response, mitigating cultural impacts, and mitigating social nuisance impacts. The implications for spill response planning and spill response evaluation are discussed. [source] Bioremediation of marine oil spills: when and when not , the Exxon Valdez experienceMICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Ronald Atlas Summary In this article we consider what we have learned from the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS) in terms of when bioremediation should be considered and what it can accomplish. We present data on the state of oiling of Prince William Sound shorelines 18 years after the spill, including the concentration and composition of subsurface oil residues (SSOR) sampled by systematic shoreline surveys conducted between 2002 and 2007. Over this period, 346 sediment samples were analysed by GC-MS and extents of hydrocarbon depletion were quantified. In 2007 alone, 744 sediment samples were collected and extracted, and 222 were analysed. Most sediment samples from sites that were heavily oiled by the spill and physically cleaned and bioremediated between 1989 and 1991 show no remaining SSOR. Where SSOR does remain, it is for the most part highly weathered, with 82% of 2007 samples indicating depletion of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (Total PAH) of > 70% relative to EVOS oil. This SSOR is sequestered in patchy deposits under boulder/cobble armour, generally in the mid-to-upper intertidal zone. The relatively high nutrient concentrations measured at these sites, the patchy distribution and the weathering state of the SSOR suggest that it is in a form and location where bioremediation likely would be ineffective at increasing the rate of hydrocarbon removal. [source] | ||||||||||||||||