Review
Environmental Sciences
Tracey T. Sutton, Rosanna J. Milligan, Kendra Daly, Kevin M. Boswell, April B. Cook, Maelle Cornic, Tamara Frank, Kaitlin Frasier, Daniel Hahn, Frank Hernandez, John Hildebrand, Chuanmin Hu, Matthew W. Johnston, Samantha B. Joye, Heather Judkins, Jon A. Moore, Steven A. Murawski, Nina M. Pruzinsky, John A. Quinlan, Andrew Remsen, Kelly L. Robinson, Isabel C. Romero, Jay R. Rooker, Michael Vecchione, R. J. David Wells
Summary: The Deepwater Horizon disaster had unprecedented impacts on the open-ocean ecosystem, affecting the ecology and animal populations significantly. Many animal populations continue to decline a decade later, highlighting their vulnerability and the extent of damage.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Nilde Maggie Dannreuther, David Halpern, Jurgen Rullkotter, Dana Yoerger
Summary: The paper details technological advancements in response, mitigation, detection, and remediation of oil spills and gas releases, including new techniques and enhancements of existing methods. Developments related to subsurface oil plumes, ocean current data collection, oil spill modeling, interactions of oil with particulate matter and microbial organisms, biogeochemical processes affecting oil fate, human health risks, marine life impacts, and alternative dispersant technologies are discussed. Many of these advancements have broader applications beyond oil spill research.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Isabel C. Romero, Jeffrey P. Chanton, Gregg R. Brooks, Samantha Bosman, Rebekka A. Larson, Austin Harris, Patrick Schwing, Arne Diercks
Summary: Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWHOS), a study was conducted to chemically characterize the formation of oil-associated marine snow (MOSSFA) in deep-sea sediments. Different sources of MOSSFA were found to have varying deposition patterns, indicating their significant influence on the fate of contaminants in the oceans. This study highlights the importance of multi-chemical methods in identifying biogenic and oil-derived inputs for improving our understanding of carbon inputs and storage in deep-sea environments.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arne R. Diercks, Isabel C. Romero, Rebekka A. Larson, Patrick Schwing, Austin Harris, Samantha Bosman, Jeffrey P. Chanton, Gregg Brooks
Summary: The study focused on determining the long-term fate of oil-residues from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill by analyzing their remobilization, transport, and redistribution. It found that oil-residues were episodically deposited on the seafloor in specific sediment layers, with a distribution pattern that did not correspond to surface oil slicks or subsurface plumes. The data indicate that resuspension and down-slope redistribution of oil-residues occurred in the years following the spill.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lin Zhao, Douglas A. Mitchell, Roger C. Prince, Ann Hayward Walker, J. Samuel Arey, Tim J. Nedwed
Summary: The controversy surrounding the use of Sub-Sea Dispersant Injection (SSDI) during the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill to minimize exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOC) remains. However, extensive evidence suggests that SSDI can reduce peak concentrations of VOC that pose immediate health concerns for workers, indicating its importance in minimizing potential exposure to VOC and the need for its inclusion in guidelines and regulations for dispersant use.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
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
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaolong Geng, Charbel Abou Khalil, Roger C. Prince, Kenneth Lee, Chunjiang An, Michel C. Boufadel
Summary: The study found that intrinsic beach capillarity and groundwater depth are the primary factors controlling moisture and redox conditions on the oil-contaminated beach surface. Atmosphere-ocean-groundwater interactions created hypersaline sediment environments at the study sites, inhibiting oil decomposition.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Alicia Martinez-Varela, Gemma Casas, Naiara Berrojalbiz, Benjamin Pina, Jordi Dachs, Maria Vila-Costa
Summary: Up to 400 million tons of carbon from airborne semivolatile aromatic hydrocarbons are deposited into the oceans annually, making it the largest known source of anthropogenic organic carbon in the ocean. Microbial degradation is an important process for removing these pollutants in surface waters, but has not been extensively studied in polar environments. This research investigates the response of Antarctic microbial communities to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sea-surface microlayer (SML) and the subsurface layer (SSL). The study finds that microbial degradation rates are higher in the SML, especially for hydrophobic and particle-bound PAHs. The composition of particle-associated bacteria in the SML also significantly changes after 24 hours of PAHs exposure. This study highlights the crucial role of bacterial populations in the SML, particularly those associated with particles, in removing aromatic hydrocarbons in the oceans.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marieh Arekhi, Leigh G. Terry, Gerald F. John, T. Prabhakar Clement
Summary: This study investigated the long-term fate of three groups of petroleum biomarker compounds in Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill residues collected from Alabama beaches over a 10-year period. The results showed that some compounds degraded over time, while others remained recalcitrant. Despite some degradation, the relative diagnostic ratios of the biomarkers remained stable over the 10-year period, providing valuable insights for future studies on the long-term environmental impacts of oil spill residues.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Deborah P. French-McCay, Malcolm L. Spaulding, Deborah Crowley, Daniel Mendelsohn, Jeremy Fontenault, Matthew Horn
Summary: Modeling was used to analyze the trajectory and fate of oil released during the Deepwater Horizon blowout, with results closely matching estimates from remote sensing data, indicating reliability in evaluating environmental exposure in the water column and at the water surface.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vicente Fernandez, Roman Stocker, Gabriel Juarez
Summary: Immiscible hydrocarbons in the ocean water column occur as droplets of varying diameters. The relationship between droplet size distribution and oil degradation rates by bacteria is unclear. The use of chemical dispersants in oil spill response is based on the assumption that increasing the surface-area-to-volume ratio of droplets will enhance biodegradation rates, but this argument doesn't hold in most natural marine environments. A mechanistic encounter-consumption model predicts the characteristic time for oil degradation by marine bacteria, taking into account the initial oil concentration, droplet size distribution, and the abundance of oil-degrading bacteria. The model shows that reducing droplet size below an optimum can increase the persistence of oil droplets in the environment.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Michel C. Boufadel, Tamay Ozgokmen, Scott A. Socolofsky, Vassiliki H. Kourafalou, Ruixue Liu, Kenneth Lee
Summary: The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was the largest in US history, causing extensive damage to coastlines and significant economic losses. This review article discusses the journey of the oil from the wellhead to the spill, focusing on its behavior on the water surface and the impact of ocean currents and waves. It also explores the formation of oil-particle aggregates.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
David H. Slater
Summary: Traditionally, accident investigation approaches focused on determining the cause of accidents and assigning blame. However, some scholars argue that organizations should also take responsibility for accidents. Recent discussions suggest that accidents are inevitable in complex systems and should be considered as part of normal behavior. New research approaches aim to understand the causes of accidents and determine what constitutes normal behavior and why deviations from it lead to problems.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
C. H. Ainsworth, E. P. Chassignet, D. French-McCay, C. J. Beegle-Krause, I. Berenshtein, J. Englehardt, T. Fiddaman, H. Huang, M. Huettel, D. Justic, V. H. Kourafalou, Y. Liu, C. Mauritzen, S. Murawski, S. Morey, T. Ozgokmen, C. B. Paris, J. Ruzicka, S. Saul, J. Shepherd, S. Socolofsky, H. Solo Gabriele, T. Sutton, R. H. Weisberg, C. Wilson, L. Zheng, Y. Zheng
Summary: The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GOMRI) has conducted in-depth studies on the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill from various perspectives and recently assessed the program's accomplishments. By compiling 330 published applications and focusing on modeling efforts, GOMRI has made significant advancements in integrating diverse disciplines and domains. Various modeling tools have been utilized, with a focus on circulation models coupled with other environmental factors to track the fate of oil and its impact on ecosystems and human health.
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Mohamed Elsheref, Lena Messina, Matthew A. Tarr
Summary: Oil spills have significant negative effects on marine systems, and previous research has overlooked the importance of photochemistry in the fate of spilled oil. Recent studies have shown that photochemistry plays a crucial role in the transformation of oil after a spill, particularly in emulsification, oxygenation, and microbial interactions. Advanced analytical approaches have also improved our understanding of oil photochemistry after maritime spills.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-PROCESSES & IMPACTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Scott A. Stout
ENVIRONMENTAL FORENSICS
(2016)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Scott A. Stout, James R. Payne, Stephen D. Emsbo-Mattingly, Gregory Baker
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2016)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Scott A. Stout, James R. Payne, Robert W. Ricker, Gregory Baker, Christopher Lewis
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2016)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Scott A. Stout, James R. Payne
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2016)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Scott A. Stout, James R. Payne
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2017)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Scott A. Stout, Shahrokh Rouhani, Bo Liu, Jacob Oehrig, Robert W. Ricker, Gregory Baker, Christopher Lewis
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2017)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Scott A. Stout, Eric Litman, Douglas Blue
ENVIRONMENTAL FORENSICS
(2018)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jennifer M. K. O'Keefe, Erika R. Neace, Max L. Hammond, James C. Hower, Mark A. Engle, Joseph East, Nicholas J. Geboy, Ricardo A. Olea, Kevin R. Henke, Gregory C. Copley, Edward Lemley, Rachel S. Hatch Nally, Antonia E. Hansen, Allison R. Richardson, Anne B. Satterwhite, Glenn B. Stracher, Larry F. Radke, Charles Smeltzer, Christopher Romanek, Donald R. Blake, Paul A. Schroeder, Stephen D. Emsbo-Mattingly, Scott A. Stout
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COAL GEOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Scott A. Stout, Christopher R. German
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2018)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Scott A. Stout, Andrew P. Brey
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COAL GEOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Timothy A. Bargar, Scott A. Stout, David Alvarez
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Uta Passow, Scott A. Stout
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Scott A. Stout
CHEMISTRY AND ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Scott A. Stout
ENVIRONMENTAL FORENSICS
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Atefeh Zendehboudi, Azam Mohammadi, Sina Dobaradaran, Gabriel E. De-la-Torre, Bahman Ramavandi, Seyed Enayat Hashemi, Reza Saeedi, Emran Moradpour Tayebi, Ahmad Vafaee, Amirhossein Darabi
Summary: This study investigated the characteristics and ecological risks of microplastics (MPs) in ballast water for the first time, and found high levels of MP pollution. These findings contribute to our understanding of the sources and risks of microplastics in marine ecosystems.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rose Boahemaa Pinto, Linda Bogerd, Martine van der Ploeg, Kwame Duah, Remko Uijlenhoet, Tim H. M. van Emmerik
Summary: Catchment-scale plastic pollution assessments provide insights into the sources, sinks, and pathways of plastic pollution. We propose an approach to quantify macroplastic transport and density in the Odaw catchment, Ghana, and find that the urban riverine zone has the highest transport, while the urban tidal zone has the highest riverbank and land macroplastic density.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aliya Baidourela, Qian Sun, Gongxin Yang, Umut Halik, Zhongkai Dong, Kaixu Cai, Guili Sun, Wenya Zhang, Sisi Cheng
Summary: The study focused on heavy metal pollution in the green vegetation of a suburban industrial area in Tuokexun County, Xinjiang, China. The results showed that the overall level of heavy metal pollution in the soil was minor, with mercury (Hg) being the most severe contamination, likely caused by human activities. The composition of heavy metal elements in trees was more stable compared to grass and shrubs, with varying concentrations across different vegetation. Shrubbery was found to be the most effective in heavy metal restoration, and there were disparities in heavy metal enrichment among different vegetation types.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
James H. Bridson, Hayden Masterton, Beatrix Theobald, Regis Risani, Fraser Doake, Jessica A. Wallbank, Stefan D. M. Maday, Gavin Lear, Robert Abbel, Dawn A. Smith, Joanne M. Kingsbury, Olga Pantos, Grant L. Northcott, Sally Gaw
Summary: Plastic pollution has significant environmental impacts, largely due to chemical additives. However, the behavior of plastic additives in marine environments is not well understood. A marine deployment experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of weathering on the extractables profile of four types of plastics in New Zealand over a period of nine months. The concentration of additives in polyethylene and oxo-degradable polyethylene was strongly influenced by artificial weathering, while polyamide 6 and polyethylene terephthalate showed minimal change. These findings emphasize the importance of considering leaching and weathering effects on plastic composition when assessing the potential impact and risk of plastic pollution in receiving environments.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alan G. Scarlett, Francis D. Spilsbury, Steven J. Rowland, Marthe Monique Gagnon, Kliti Grice
Summary: This study used diamondoid hydrocarbon distributions to identify the sources of environmental oil contamination. A suite of 20 diamondoids was found to accumulate in fish adipose tissue. The scatter plots of indices between fish and exposure oils showed a close to ideal 1:1 relationship, which can be used to determine the origin of the oil.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shan Jiang, Mengmeng Wan, Kun Lin, Yanshan Chen, Rui Wang, Liju Tan, Jiangtao Wang
Summary: In this study, the concentration, composition, distribution, and sources of PCBs in surface seawater of the Bohai Bay were analyzed. The results showed that PCBs in the Bohai Bay had high concentrations and were primarily derived from land-based sources such as port activities and river inputs. The PCBs in the Bohai Bay may come from commercial PCBs and their incineration products, municipal landfills, wood and coal combustion, and industrial activities, etc.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Icaro S. A. Porto, Saulo V. A. Dantas, Caio S. A. Felix, Francisco A. S. Cunha, Jailson B. de Andrade, Sergio L. C. Ferreira
Summary: This study evaluated the risks of mercury levels in sardines consumed by low-income population in Salvador, Brazil. The results showed that the mercury content in the sampled sardines posed no risks to human health. This study is significant as most sardines in Salvador come from Todos os Santos Bay, which has a history of mercury contamination.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiahui Chen, Chengyu Yuan, Guanqun Zhai, Guangcheng Chen, Heng Zhu, Jun Liu, Yong Ye
Summary: This study investigated the combined influences of species selection and site elevation on greenhouse gas fluxes from restored mangrove soils. The results suggest that Avicennia marina should be selected for mangrove restoration to minimize carbon release and reduce the influence of greenhouse gas fluxes on the global greenhouse effect.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emmanuel Onyeabor, Uju Obuka
Summary: The Gulf of Guinea region in Africa is a significant area for coastal countries, playing a vital role in their economic and environmental development. This study aims to reduce marine plastic pollution in the region by utilizing legal instruments.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuanli Liu, Stephan Luttjohann, Alvise Vianello, Claudia Lorenz, Fan Liu, Jes Vollertsen
Summary: Large area attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (LAATR-FTIR) is a novel technique for detecting small microplastics, with limited accuracy for large microplastics. However, it shows promise in homogeneous matrices. The spectra quality is comparable between transmission mode and LAATR mode.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Phuc T. D. Le, Andrew M. Fischer, Britta D. Hardesty, Heidi J. Auman, Chris Wilcox
Summary: This study explores the relationship between ocean currents and the accumulation of floating marine debris (FMD) and finds that higher concentrations of FMD are associated with frontal frequencies (FF). FMD is primarily trapped in accumulation zones between fronts and the coastline, which have high biodiversity value.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rosa Sawan, Perine Doyen, Florence Viudes, Rachid Amara, Celine Mahfouz
Summary: Few studies have examined the impact of urbanization and meteorological events on microplastics discharged into the sea through rivers. Surface water samples were collected from two Lebanese rivers, with differing degrees of urbanization, during dry and wet periods. The results showed that the most industrialized river had a significantly higher abundance of microplastics compared to the less-industrialized river. There was also a correlation between particle contamination and the season at each site, with microplastic concentrations highest on the first day of the wet season. These findings highlight the importance of considering meteorological events in accurately assessing plastic pollution influx into coastal waters.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katherine R. Shaw, Jonathan L. Whitney, Eileen M. Nalley, Madeline C. Schmidbauer, Megan J. Donahue, Jesse Black, Raquel N. Corniuk, Kellie Teague, Rachel Sandquist, Catherine Pirkle, Rachel Dacks, Max Sudnovsky, Jennifer M. Lynch
Summary: This study examines the ingestion of plastic in reef fish in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Plastic particles were found in the gastrointestinal tracts of multiple fish species. However, further analysis revealed that these particles were actually natural materials and posed no threat to human consumers.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Revati Hardikar, C. K. Haridevi, Shantaj Deshbhratar
Summary: This study investigated the variability in phytoplankton functional structure using a trait-based approach and explored the relationship between species traits and environmental factors, as well as their impact on ecosystem functioning. The results revealed that morphological traits, temperature, and ammonia played a decisive role in the seasonal succession of phytoplankton species. It was found that certain traits favored higher biomass production but might hinder energy transfer efficiency. The strong correlation between environmental variables and phytoplankton functional structure supports the practical implementation of a trait-based approach in studying phytoplankton community dynamics under different environmental conditions.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Engki A. Kisnarti, Nining Sari Ningsih, Mutiara R. Putri, Nani Hendiarti, Bernhard Mayer
Summary: This study examines the movement patterns of plastic marine debris in Indonesian waters, revealing that Indonesia contributes significantly to transboundary marine debris in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea. Most of the debris remains in Indonesian waters and moves back and forth due to the influence of monsoon currents.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)