A Scientific Study to Develop a Practical Method for Assessing the Cleanup of 'Sour' (High Sulfur) Crude Oil Spills in Littoral Sands using Benthic Microorganisms.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine if a practical method could be developed for assessing the cleanup of a single spill of Arabian Light Stabilized crude oil in littoral sands and gravels by using microorganisms as indicators. Crude oil was spilled on beaches at three localities along the Connecticut shoreline where different environmental conditions are present and the microbiota and sediments in oiled plots were compared with those in unoiled plots for up to 15 months. The study showed that microorganisms cannot be used as indicators of the effectiveness of cleanup operations in these sediments. Species diversity in the oiled and unoiled plots at each study locality was about the same throughout the study and, in general, only slight differences in the number of individuals were observed for most species. The spilled oil was rapidly removed from these sediments by natural processes. Retention was longest in the sediments that had relatively large amounts of organism produced mucilaginous materials. However, even in these sediments, the crude oil was not detected approximately three months after it was spilled. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA075763
Entities
People
- Larry Frankel
Organizations
- University of Connecticut