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UAF Toxicology and Ecosystem Impacts

INE, Dr. Robert A. Perkins, PEIAB, Dr. Mary Beth Leigh

Kelly McFarlin

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Over viewing INE Tox Eco

INE and Toxicologyu With IAB

Dispersants and Oil SpillsTesting Programs and CapabilitiesTypes Laboratory Testing (Kelly)Current Biodegredation Use of Data in Decision-MakingPartners and Friends

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Personnel

INEIAB

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Oil Spills and Dispersants

“After oil is spilled, nothing good happens.”Mechanical RecoveryIn situ BurningMechanical (Natural) DispersionChemical Dispersion

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HOW DISPERSANTS WORKTHE GOAL: REDUCE OIL CONCENTRATION TO LESS THAN IMPACT LEVELS AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE

2) APPLICATION OF DISPERSANT

3) OIL SLICK DISPERSES INTO DROPLETS WITH MINIMAL ENERGY

HYDROPHILICLIPOPHILIC

Surfaces of DropletsRepel Each Other...No Coalescence

1) OIL/WATER INCOMPATIBILITY

Na+

Na+

Cl–

Cl–Na+

Cl–

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Mixing oil and water

Slide Courtesy of Alun Lewis

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Why do small oil droplets float more slowly than large oil droplets ?

Dh/t = D2(rw - ro)g18hw

Small oil droplets rise much more slowly than large droplets

STOKES LAW

Slide Courtesy of Alun Lewis10

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Effectiveness

Type of oilWeathering stateSea state and weather conditionsGenerally published for major dispersant

formulationsUAF has done standard lab tests on theseMeso-scale tests are common

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Removes Oil from Surface

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Puts oil into the water column

Fig. 1-9. Concentrations of oil in the water column following dispersal of a 0.1 mm thick slick of fresh oil treated with a chemical dispersant (after Lewis and Aurand, 1997)

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Are Dispersants Toxic?

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Scientific toxicologySeeks to understand the natural laws regarding effects

Applied toxicologySeeks to establish safe doses (concentrations)

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http://info.lu.farmingdale.edu/depts/met/ind310/industrialtoxicology.html 17

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Blue is therapeutic effectGreen is harmful effect 18

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LC50?

Method of comparing chemicals and situations

Modeling

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DISPERSION EFFECT

Water Currents Distribute Oil Over Wide Area

OF THE WATER COLUMN

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OK, but

Are dispersants toxic?

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CROSERF

Chemical Response to Oil Spills: Ecological Effects Research Forum

Boxes of LiteratureNo standardized :

OilWeathering stateDispersantDosing rate or methodAnalysisSpeciesMixing

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Sponsors of Research

Texas General Land Office (TGLO);Florida Department of Environmental Protection

(FL DEP);California Office of Oil Spill Prevention and

Response (CA OSPR);Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

(ADEC);Exxon Corporation;American Petroleum Institute (API), andMarine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC).

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Plus

Minerals Management Service (MMS);U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA), andChevron Corporation

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Universities and Sponsors

University of California, Santa Cruz (later UC Davis) - CA OSPR

University of South Florida - FL DEPTexas A&M University - TGLOUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks - ADEC

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CROSERF Testing

Standard species and standard oilCalibrate labs

Standard species and local oilIs our oil different?

Local species and local oilAre our local species different?

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Test Regimes

Species Mysidu Fish larvaeu Tanner crab larvaeu Microtox

Oilsu PBCOu ANS, Freshu ANS, Weathered

• 200 deg. C.29

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Treatmentu WAF [water accommodated fraction]u CE-WAF [chemically enhanced WAF]

Exposure, 96-hru Chambersu Static with Renewal

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Almost forgot

VOAu C6-C9

BTEXTPHu C10-C36

THC, andLoading

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Whoops

Warm25 °C

Cold4 to 7 °C

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Fresh CE-WAF

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Eco Tox Testing Goals

Test relevant speciesSensitive life stageAs close to environment conditions beneath

a spillEstablish dose-responseInput to modeling environmental effects

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Test Species

Whales to microorganismsBest would be convenient and relevant, Convenient - amenable to laboratory testingRelevant - important to the ecosystem in

question, recognized by the public, sensitive to the chemical.

“Standard” test speciesu All warm, 20 C, water

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KELLY

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Arctic Testing

Toxicitiy

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Background

Joint Industry Program to Evaluate the Effects of Dispersed Oil on Cold Water Environments of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas (JIP)

• JIP sponsors: Shell, ExxonMobil, Statoil, ConocoMarch 2008 workshop facilitated focus of research

and methods usedWorkshop participants: local community, academia,

resource agencies and industry• UAF, NOAA, MMS, NSB, ExxonMobil, Shell, PWSSC, PWSRCAC,

USCG, ACS, AKVAPLAN-NIVA, and SINTEFWorkshop proceedings u Identified two key arctic species for toxicity testing that were

primarily chosen based on their location in the pelagic food web• Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida)• Copepod (Calanus glacialis)

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Arctic Cod (Boreogadus saida)

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Copepod (Calanus glacialis)

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Sculpin (Myoxocephalus sp.)

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Barrow Laboratory

The Barrow Arctic Research Center, Barrow, Alaska

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KELLY

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Field Expeditions

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Oil type? Chukchi, Beaufort

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END Kelly

Kelly on difference with arctic and non speices

Lag time, etc. Bio degredaitonAMOPIOSCPEER REVIEW

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Use of Data

Confront misinformationu “Microbes that degrade oil are not present in the

Arctic” – testimony to Oil Spill Commission “Regardless of their effectiveness, questions

remain regarding the potential toxicity and impacts of dispersants on Arctic ecosystems.” xii [National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. OFFSHORE DRILLING IN THE ARCTIC: BACKGROUND AND ISSUES FOR THE FUTURE CONSIDERATION OF OIL AND GAS ACTIVITIES Staff Working Paper No. 13 quoting from http://www.pewenvironment.org/news-room/reports/oil-spill-prevention-and-response-in-the-us-arctic-ocean-unexamined-risks-unacceptable-consequences-8589942645 ]

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Modeling

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Forward and Current Models

Forwardu Set limits on dispersant useu Pre-approvalsu Water depthu Geography

Currentu Spill response optionsu Risk analysis, NEBA

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Models

Use wind and current dataNeed oil properties with timePredict location and thickness of slickPredict concentration of oil in water columnAnalyze harm to marine lifeu Need time of year and other details

Long termu Beachedu Biodegraded

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Experience and Capability

Arctic Marine Tox, bio deg, eco Testingu Two years

Barrow Labu Set up labu HSE issuesu IACUCu BASC, administration

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Friends and Partners

CROSERFu Seward Marine Centeru SeaLife Center

Current work with Creosote in Southeastu UASu NOAA NMFS

• NSB Wildlife, othersJIPu Shell, ExxonMobil, Statoil, Conoco

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TAC of JIP

NOAABOEMREEPAADECCOOGERu Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas and Energy Research u Fisheries and Oceans Canada

SINTEFu Joint industry program on oil spill contingency for

Arctic and ice covered waters

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Arctic Species Sensitivity Distribution

Gro Harlaug Olsen, Lionel Camus, Mathijs Smit, Tim Smith, Iris Jæger, JoLynn Carroll,

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Questions, Discussion

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