Article
Engineering, Environmental
Larissa Montas, Alesia C. Ferguson, Kristina D. Mena, Helena M. Solo-Gabriele, Claire B. Paris
Summary: This study estimated the age-at-sea of weathered oil slicks using a modeling system and used this information to interpret PAH concentration measurements. The study found that the mean percent depletion of PAHs increased with estimated age-at-sea. Alkylated PAHs showed less depletion compared to parent PAHs.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Brandi S. Echols
Summary: This study aimed to quantitatively determine the toxicity of oil remaining in sediment from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and found that less than 13% of toxicity tests on benthic species showed toxicity. There was no clear relationship between toxicity test results, oiling category, or measured total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emily C. Pisarski, Edward F. Wirth, Paul L. Pennington, Ian Hartwell, Brian S. Shaddrix, David R. Whitall, Dennis A. Apeti, Gregory Baker
Summary: This study tested six field cleaning techniques on metal sampling equipment and found that protocols containing a solvent step were more effective than protocols without solvents in reducing chemical carryover. Depending on the data quality objectives, the differences may not be meaningful, and choosing a cleaning technique should be governed by health, safety, and environmental factors.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
G. A. Burton, E. C. Cervi, G. Rosen, M. Colvin, B. Chadwick, N. Hayman, S. E. Allan, L. M. DiPinto, R. Adams, M. McPherson, E. Scharberg
Summary: An in situ exposure and effects bioassay system was developed for assessing the toxicity of oil spills to aquatic organisms, integrating real-time tracking and characterization of oil exposures. Results of field tests show promising potential for accurately determining in situ oil exposure and toxicity.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lindsay K. Biermann, Stephen T. Szedlmayer
Summary: The study found that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 had little impact on the age, growth, and mortality of roughtongue bass in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The dominant 2010 year-class, low PAH levels, and similar growth rates to pre-spill measures all indicated minimal effects on the fish population.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexis J. Khursigara, Kerri Lynn Ackerly, Andrew J. Esbaugh
Summary: Crude oil and PAHs induce sub-lethal effects in early life stage fishes. It was previously believed that 3-ring PAHs drive cardiotoxicity, but recent studies have suggested that neurological impairments may not be linked to cardiotoxicity. In this study, embryonic red drum were exposed to different PAHs and it was found that 4-ring PAHs are responsible for malformations in developing red drum, indicating that oil-induced impairments in this species are not solely a result of 3-ring PAH induced cardiac malformations.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY C-TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Victoria McGruer, Alexis J. Khursigara, Jason T. Magnuson, Andrew J. Esbaugh, Justin B. Greer, Daniel Schlenk
Summary: The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill had an impact on the spawning season of coastal species like red drum, which develop rapidly and are sensitive to crude oil exposure. Despite increased pericardial area in red drum larvae exposed to oil, cholesterol biosynthetic genes were not affected. However, free cholesterol levels in the larvae increased significantly, potentially playing a role in the observed oil toxicity across fish species.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Emily M. Milton, Maria C. Cartolano, Danielle McDonald
Summary: The study examined the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the vertebrate stress axis and found that marine vertebrates exposed to Deepwater Horizon (DWH) PAHs may experience stress axis impairment. Chronic stress combined with PAH exposure further exacerbated these effects. The mechanism of impairment may involve downregulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) acting as a secondary cortisol secretagogue.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Agnieszka Krzyszczak, Michal P. Dybowski, Magdalena Konczak, Bozena Czech
Summary: In recent years, there has been significant progress in the study of thermal transformation of waste into valuable materials such as biochar. High-temperature processes can lead to the formation of toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, the pyrolysis process can also result in the formation of derivatives containing oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur, which may have higher toxicity than parent PAHs. The bioavailability of PAHs is an important parameter in the agricultural application of carbonaceous materials.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Robyn N. Conmy, Alexander Hall, Devi Sundaravadivelu, Blake A. Schaeffer, Andrew R. Murray
Summary: Tracking the subsea oil plume during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was conducted using both in situ fluorescence and discrete sample chemical analyses. Discrete samples provided a coarse picture of the oil plume footprint, while in situ fluorescence data improved the resolution. Through analysis of millions of continuous data points, fluorescence was found to serve as a proxy for BTEX concentration.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
T. Prabhakar Clement, Gerald F. John
Summary: This review examines recent literature on the issue of tarball contamination from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its impact on Gulf of Mexico beaches, with a particular focus on Alabama beaches. Despite remediation efforts, tarball residues continue to contaminate beaches in the Gulf of Mexico. This anthropogenic experiment has provided valuable lessons for scientists and raised challenging questions.
CURRENT OPINION IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Natasha Klasios, Hannah De Frond, Ezra Miller, Meg Sedlak, Chelsea M. Rochman
Summary: The study found microplastics and other anthropogenic microparticles in bivalves from San Francisco Bay, with significant variations in abundance between different sites, and no correlation between the number of microparticles and PAH concentrations. Bivalves may be suitable as bioindicators for microplastic levels in sediment, but not in surface water.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Gizem Goker, Sezer Kiralan, Aziz Tekin, Ferruh Erdogdu
Summary: The study found that the formation of PAHs in olive pomace during drying is influenced by temperature and time, with the total PAH formation rate increasing with temperature. The activation energy and frequency factor values also increase as temperature rises.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Deanne S. Roopnarine, Peter D. Roopnarine, Laurie C. Anderson, Ji Hae Hwang, Swati Patel
Summary: Research shows that wild adult oysters inhabiting coastal waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico exhibited metaplasia in both ctenidial and digestive tract tissues at significantly higher frequencies after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 compared to geographic controls from Chesapeake Bay. However, evidence for a reduction of metaplasia following the oil spill from 2010 to 2013 is suggestive but inconclusive.
Review
Environmental Sciences
A. Berthiaume, E. Galarneau, G. Marson
Summary: This article presents the current knowledge on Canadian PAC emission sources, with forest fires dominating the emissions nationally. Non-industrial sources are estimated to be the second largest contributor, showing moderate decreases in recent decades. Industrial point sources have seen considerable reductions, while fugitive emissions from other industrial sources remain a gap in our understanding. Overall, there is uncertainty in emissions data and regional/local scale examination is needed to determine the sources contributing most to human and ecosystem exposure.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lindsay Jasperse, Milton Levin, Kara Rogers, Christopher Perkins, Thijs Bosker, Robert J. Griffitt, Maria S. Sepulveda, Sylvain De Guise
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2019)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lindsay Jasperse, Milton Levin, Kara Rogers, Christopher Perkins, Thijs Bosker, Robert J. Griffitt, Maria S. Sepulveda, Sylvain De Guise
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2019)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jennifer Serafin, Samuel C. Guffey, Thijs Bosker, Robert J. Griffitt, Sylvain De Guise, Christopher Perkins, Michael Szuter, Maria S. Sepulveda
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria L. Rodgers, Danielle Simning, Maria S. Sepulveda, Sylvain De Guise, Thijs Bosker, Robert J. Griffitt
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elizabeth R. Jones, Danielle Simning, Jenifer Serafin, Maria S. Sepulveda, Robert J. Griffitt
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shuo Shen, Wei Wu, D. Jay Grimes, Eric A. Saillant, Robert J. Griffitt
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Maria L. Rodgers, Tracy A. Sherwood, Andrea M. Tarnecki, Robert J. Griffitt, Dana L. Wetzel
Summary: Our study found significant effects of sediment exposure and recovery period on gene expression and pathways in liver and gill tissues of southern flounder. While immune-related gene expression in the gill tissue returned to baseline levels after exposure, the recovery period led to an increase in differentially expressed genes. The recovery period significantly impacted canonical pathways in both tissue types, with suppressed cholesterol biosynthesis pathways in oil-exposed flounder with a recovery period.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria L. Rodgers, Jennifer Serafin, Maria S. Sepulveda, Robert J. Griffitt
Summary: The study found that oil exposure can activate or suppress immune pathways in fish, especially under specific environmental conditions, suggesting that oil has the potential to further modulate immune-related genes, pathways, and responses in fish.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Friday Ojie Ehiguese, Maria L. Rodgers, Cristiano V. M. Araujo, Robert J. Griffitt, M. Laura Martin-Diaz
Summary: The study found that HHCB and AHTN may have neurotoxic and endocrine disrupting effects on coastal ecosystems, particularly affecting clams and fish.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elizabeth Allmon, Jennifer Serafin, Shuai Chen, Danielle Simning, Robert Griffitt, Thijs Bosker, Sylvain De Guise, Maria S. Sepulveda
Summary: Increased nutrient loading in coastal shelf waters has led to eutrophication, resulting in more persistent hypoxic zones and physiological impacts on fish cardiac systems. Transcriptomic analysis of two estuarine fish species exposed to hypoxia shows differential gene expression but conserved downstream impacts on pathways such as reduced cardiac hypertrophy and increased apoptosis. Differences in the magnitude of these conserved responses suggest that embryonic development length may confer resiliency to hypoxic perturbation in early life stage fish.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Ryan Takeshita, Steven J. Bursian, Kathleen M. Colegrove, Tracy K. Collier, Kristina Deak, Karen M. Dean, Sylvain De Guise, Lisa M. DiPinto, Cornelis J. Elferink, Andrew J. Esbaugh, Robert J. Griffitt, Martin Grosell, Kendal E. Harr, John P. Incardona, Richard K. Kwok, Joshua Lipton, Carys L. Mitchelmore, Jeffrey M. Morris, Edward S. Peters, Aaron P. Roberts, Teresa K. Rowles, Jennifer A. Rusiecki, Lori H. Schwacke, Cynthia R. Smith, Dana L. Wetzel, Michael H. Ziccardi, Ailsa J. Hall
Summary: Studies conducted after the oil spill revealed consistent toxic responses across different organisms, indicating conservation in disease pathogenesis and mechanisms of action.
JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH-PART B-CRITICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elizabeth Allmon, Grace Carter, Robert Griffitt, Maria S. Sepulveda
Summary: Research on the cardiotoxic effects of oil on fish has mainly focused on rapidly developing pelagic species, with little emphasis on estuarine species with longer embryological periods. This study fills a knowledge gap by exposing sheepshead minnow embryos to oil and measuring cardiac responses through identifying cardiotoxic phenotypes and calculating cardiac output, finding significant increases in pericardial edema and reduced cardiac output at both oil doses. The methods described in this study allow for more physiologically relevant measures of cardiac performance in early life stages.
Article
Microbiology
Andrea M. Tarnecki, Christelle Miller, Tracy A. Sherwood, Robert J. Griffitt, Ryan W. Schloesser, Dana L. Wetzel
Summary: The fish external microbiota competitively excludes pathogens and prevents proliferation of opportunistic organisms. Prolonged exposure to dispersed oil leads to dysbiosis in fish external microbiota, reducing the host's immune response to pathogens.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Elizabeth R. Jones, Robert J. Griffitt
Summary: DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark involved in modulating transcription. The effects of oil and hypoxia on the methylome and the subsequent impact on fish development and behavior in coastal ecosystems have been studied. The results suggest that oil and hypoxia together have greater impacts on methylation than either stressor individually. Functional analyses showed that neurological processes and development were enriched in the differentially methylated regions and differentially expressed genes. Two neurological genes exhibited altered methylation and transcriptional changes, indicating epigenetic modulation of gene expression. The study provides insights into the mechanisms underlying altered behavior patterns in fish following oil exposure.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2022)