PAHs in high Arctic copepods Calanus hyperboreus following exposure of residues from in situ burning of oil spill.

In situ burning of marine oil spills reduces the total amount of oil in the environment, but a negative side effect may be the generation of environmentally hazardous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that may pose a risk for bioaccumulation, particularly in organisms having a high lipid content. In this study uptake of PAHs from oil and burn residue were examined in the high arctic copepod Calanus hyperboreus. A major part of the low ring number petrogenic PAHs in the oil was removed during burning and relative higher concentrations of pyrogenic high ring number PAHs was found in the burn residue. This suggests that burning markedly reduces the general PAH exposure load. Furthermore, the pyrogenic PAHs generated during the burn were not bioconcentrated to quantifiable levels in the copepods. We conclude that in situ burning can mitigate the potential risk of PAH uptake for copepods and other pelagic organisms in the marine environment as the pyrogenic PAHs only pose low risk for uptake from the water by the copepods and other pelagic organisms.

EOS - Environment & Oil Spill Response. An analytic tool for environmental assessments to support oil spill response planning: Framework, principles, and proof-of-concept by an Arctic example.

The Environment & Oil Spill Response tool (EOS), supports oil spill response planning and decision making. This tool is developed on a research basis, and is an index based, generic and open-source analytic tool, which environmentally can optimise the choice of oil spill response methods for a given spill situation and for a given sea area with respect to environment and nature. The tool is not linked to a particular oil spill simulation model, although it is recommended using oil spill simulation models to have detailed data available for the analysis. The EOS tool consists of an Excel workbook with formulas for calculations and scores followed by screening through decision trees. As case for the EOS tool proof-of-concept, the area of Store Hellefiskebanke, West Greenland, is used. The tool can be downloaded from the Aarhus University home page as a free-of-charge application and is accompanied by a handbook for guidance.

Effects of chemical dispersants on feathers from Arctic seabirds.

Chemical dispersion is an oil spill response strategy where dispersants are sprayed onto the oil slick to enhance oil dispersion into the water. However, accidental application could expose seabirds to dispersants, thereby negatively affecting their plumage. To understand the possible impacts on seabirds, feathers from common eider (Somateria mollissima) and thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia) were exposed to different dosages of the dispersant Dasic Slickgone NS. For all exposure dosages the feathers increased in weight, and mostly for common eider. Analysing the feather microstructure, e.g., the Amalgamation Index, showed that larger damages were found on thick-billed murre than common eider. A no-sinking limit was established at 0.109 ml/m2. Relating this value to desktop simulations of potential sea-surface dosages in real-life situations, and to published accounts of response operations, showed that the limit is likely to be exceeded. Thus, our results show that chemical dispersants in realistic dosages could impact seabirds.

Coastline in-situ burning of oil spills in the Arctic. Studies of the environmental impacts on the littoral zone community.

In-situ burning (ISB) has been an oil combat technique studied since the 1950s. However, burning of the oil on the sea surface along the coastline, coastline ISB (cISB), is novel and was tested for the first time in the Arctic along a rocky coast in the summer 2017. A light crude oil was burned and effects of the cISB operation on the littoral zone communities investigated. The impact on macroalgal vegetation and associated fauna was analysed in three littoral zone levels. The analyses revealed limited effects on the littoral community, and that variation between sample plots and years in macroalgal biomass and coverage, as well as fauna biomass and abundance was higher than the impact from cISB. Therefore, it is concluded that cISB in the Arctic along a rocky shore may be an oil spill response option with relatively low environmental side effects for the specific oil type used.

Comparative toxicity assessment of in situ burn residues to initial and dispersed heavy fuel oil using zebrafish embryos as test organisms.

In situ burning (ISB) is discussed to be one of the most suitable response strategies to combat oil spills in extreme conditions. After burning, a highly viscous and sticky residue is left and may over time pose a risk of exposing aquatic biota to toxic oil compounds. Scientific information about the impact of burn residues on the environment is scarce. In this context, a comprehensive ISB field experiment with approx. 1000L IFO 180 was conducted in a fjord in Greenland. The present study investigated the toxicity of collected ISB residues to early life stages of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model for potentially exposed pelagic organisms. The toxicity of ISB residues on zebrafish embryos was compared with the toxicity of the initial (unweathered) IFO 180 and chemically dispersed IFO 180. Morphological malformations, hatching success, swimming behavior, and biomarkers for exposure (CYP1A activity, AChE inhibition) were evaluated in order to cover the toxic response on different biological organization levels. Across all endpoints, ISB residues did not induce greater toxicity in zebrafish embryos compared with the initial oil. The application of a chemical dispersant increased the acute toxicity most likely due to a higher bioavailability of dissolved and particulate oil components. The results provide insight into the adverse effects of ISB residues on sensitive life stages of fish in comparison with chemical dispersant application.

Smooth or smothering? The self-cleaning potential and photosynthetic effects of oil spill on arctic macro-algae Fucus distichus.

Due to increased sea transport and offshore gas and oil exploration, the Arctic is facing an unprecedented risk of marine oil spills. Although beached oil spills can lead to acute and chronic impacts on intertidal ecosystems, the effects of oil spills on macro-algae in Arctic ecosystems is lacking. Here, we assessed the effect and response of the tidal macro-algae Fucus distichus to oiling, i.e. self-cleaning potential by seawater wash and photosynthetic activity. Oiling with four oil types (ANS, Grane, IFO30 and MGO) was simulated by exposing F. distichus tips to oil. Oil removal half-times ranged between 0.8 - 4.5 days, indicating that oiling of macro-algae with the tested oils was short-term. Further, Grane oil mostly inhibited photosynthetic activity whereas oil from ANS, IFO30 and MGO stimulated it. The photosynthetic activity of F. distichus continued to be affected (inhibited or stimulated), even after oil on the tip surface was washed off.

Biodegradation of marine oil spills in the Arctic with a Greenland perspective.

New economic developments in the Arctic, such as shipping and oil exploitation, bring along unprecedented risks of marine oil spills. Microorganisms have played a central role in degrading and reducing the impact of the spilled oil during past oil disasters. However, in the Arctic, and in particular in its pristine areas, the self-cleaning capacity and biodegradation potential of the natural microbial communities have yet to be uncovered. This review compiles and investigates the current knowledge with respect to environmental parameters and biochemical constraints that control oil biodegradation in the Arctic. Hereby, seawaters off Greenland are considered as a case study. Key factors for biodegradation include the bioavailability of hydrocarbons, the presence of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and the availability of nutrients. We show how these key factors may be influenced by the physical oceanographic conditions in seawaters off Greenland and other environmental parameters including low temperature, sea ice, sunlight regime, suspended sediment plumes and phytoplankton blooms that characterize the Arctic. Based on the acquired insights, a first qualitative assessment of the biodegradation potential in seawaters off Greenland is presented. In addition to the most apparent Arctic characteristics, such as low temperature and sea ice, the impact of typical Arctic features such as the oligotrophic environment, poor microbial adaptation to hydrocarbon degradation, mixing of stratified water masses, and massive phytoplankton blooms and suspended sediment plumes merit to be topics of future investigation.

Effects of oil and oil burn residues on seabird feathers.

It is well known, that in case of oil spill, seabirds are among the groups of animals most vulnerable. Even small amounts of oil can have lethal effects by destroying the waterproofing of their plumage, leading to loss of insulation and buoyancy. In the Arctic these impacts are intensified. To protect seabirds, a rapid removal of oil is crucial and in situ burning could be an efficient method. In the present work exposure effects of oil and burn residue in different doses was studied on seabird feathers from legally hunted Common eider (Somateria mollissima) by examining changes in total weight of the feather and damages on the microstructure (Amalgamation Index) of the feathers before and after exposure. The results of the experiments indicate that burn residues from in situ burning of an oil spill have similar or larger fouling and damaging effects on seabird feathers, as compared to fresh oil.