United States
 Environmental Protection
 Agency
 Environmental Research
 Laboratory
 Narragansett Rl 02882
 Research and Development
EPA-600/S3-82-012  Sept. 1982
Project  Summary
Petroleum  Contamination:
Quantification  and  Passive
Tagging  in  Organisms
and  Sediments

John W. Farrington and Bruce W. Tripp
  The Woods  Hole Oceanographic
Institution  is  engaged  in  various
aspects of research in the coastal and
deep ocean, including the study  of
environmental  problems that result
from man's activities.  The  results
reported  here demonstrate the
analytical   difficulties   encountered
when attempting to measure anthro-
pogenically-derived hydrocarbons  at
concentration levels close to the levels
of naturally occurring hydrocarbons.
This  report describes  an analytical
area in a state  of flux, one in which
methodological  improvements are
being made continuously.
  This  report  was  submitted  in
fulfillment of Grant No. R-802724  by
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution under the sponsorship  of
the  U.S.  Environmental Protection
Agency. This report covers the period
July 1.  1973 to February 28, 1976,
and  work  was  completed  as  of
January 1979.
  This  Project   Summary  was
developed by EPA's  Environmental
Research Laboratory, Narragansett.
Rl, to announce key findings of the
research  project that is fully
documented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).

Introduction
  Petroleum and petroleum products
are being used in increasing amounts.
and the trend is forecast to continue for
at least two decades. Even with the
application  of  new technology  and
greater care, there will be accidental
spills of petroleum and small leaks in
the production,  transportation,  and
disposal  systems.  Federal  agencies
such   as the EPA  need  analytical
methods  for monitoring and invest-
igating the geographical extent of such
spills  and  leaks. Evaluation of the
reliability and limitations of analytical
methods  is  important and  helps to
insure valid interpretation of chemical
analyses for petroleum hydrocarbons.
In this project,  some aspects of the
problems  of  analyzing  for  low
concentrations  of  petroleum  in
organisms and sediments are dealt with
(1 to 10 ug/g wet weight organism or 1
to 10 ug/g dry weight of sediment). A
brief investigation was also made of the
use  of  some  passive  tagging
measurements  to  corelate  the  low
concentrations  of  petroleum  with
possible sources.
  Petroleum  pollution in the oceans
caused growing  concern in the  late
1960's and early 1970's and required a
variety of studies on the input, fate, and
effects of  petroleum  in the marine
environment. The  need  to have
adequate methodology to measure one
to one hundred parts per million (wet
weight) of   petroleum pollution  in
organisms  and  similar concentration
Tevels  in sediments was recognized
                                    
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    early  in  those studies. The authors
    began research on some aspects of this
    measurement  problem. The  problem
    was approached  by first thoroughly
    reviewing  available   knowledge  of
    naturally occurring  biosynthesized
    hydrocarbons and the  composition of
    petroleum  and  petroleum  products.
    Experiments and evaluation tests  were
    then designed in the laboratory and in
    the field for the development of methods
    to  detect petroleum hydrocarbons at
    various levels m  the presence of bio-
    synthesized hydrocarbons m organisms
    and sediments.

    Conclusions and
    Recommendations
      A review of  hydrocarbons in the
    marine environment is presented in the
    report  with  the  goal  of  providing  a
    background for evaluating  methods for
    the measurement  of  petroleum
    pollution  in  marine  organisms  and
    sediment. Comparisons are  made of
    extraction, isolation and measurement
    procedures applied to hard shell clams
    (Mercenaria  mercenaria)  and   near-
    shore  and estuarme sediments. Gas
    chrornatographic,  gas chromatographic-
    mass   spectrornetric,   and  U.V.
    fluorescence techniques were used to
    analyze  the hydrocarbons isolated by
    these procedures.
      The   analytical  procedures   were
    applied to surface sediments from the
    continental slope, shelf, and near-shore
    areas of the northeastern United States.
    The  extent   of   chronic  petroleum
    contamination  was estimated as was
    the historical  record  of petroleum
         contamination  in  selected  areas  via
         depth  distribution  measurements  in
         sediment cores.
         The  extent  of  chronic   petroleum
         contamination  in  selected  areas  via
         depth  distribution  measurements  in
         sediment cores.
           The methods were  also  applied to
         mtertidal marsh sediments from areas
contaminated by two different No. 2 fue
oil spills.  The absolute  concentratioi
changes   and  relative  compositioi
changes in aromatic hydrocarbons art
reported for time intervals of six year;
after one  spill  and two years after i
second spill. The influence of weather-
ing processes on a few passive tagging
parameters was also investigated.
           John W. Farrington and Bruce W. Tripp are with Woods Hole Oceanographic
             Institution. Woods Hole, MA 02543.
           Peter Rogerson is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
           The complete report, entitled "Petroleum Contamination: Quantification and
             Passive Tagging in Organisms and Sediments," (Order No. PB 82-254 087;
             Cost: $15.00, subject to change) will be available only from:
                   National Technical Information Service
                   5285 Port Royal Road
                   Springfield. VA 22161
                   Telephone: 703-487-4650
           The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
                   Environmental Research Laboratory
                   U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                   South Ferry Road
                   Narragansett, Rl 02882
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
               Postage and
               Fees Paid
               Environmental
               Protection
               Agency
               EPA 335
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use S300
             0000329

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