In-situ burning of oil in coastal marshes. 2. Oil spill cleanup efficiency as a function of oil type, marsh type, and water depth.
In-situ burning of spilled oil, which receives considerable attention in marine conditions, could be an effective way to cleanup wetland oil spills. An experimental in-situ burn was conducted to study the effects of oil type, marsh type, and water depth on oil chemistry and oil removal efficiency from the water surface and sediment. In-situ burning decreased the totaltargeted alkanes and total targeted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the burn residues as compared to the pre-burn diesel and crude oils. Removal was even more effective for short-chain alkanes and low ring-number PAHs. Removal efficiencies for alkanes and PAHs were >98% in terms of mass balance although concentrations of some long-chain alkanes and high ring-number PAHs increased in the burn residue as compared to the pre-burn oils. Thus, in-situ burning potentially prevents floating oil from drifting into and contaminating adjacent habitats and penetrating the sediment. In addition, in-situ burning significantly removed diesel oil that had penetrated the sediment for all water depths. Furthermore, in-situ burning at a water depth 2 cm below the soil surface significantly removed crude oil that had penetrated the sediment. As a result, in-situ burning may reduce the long-term impacts of oil on benthic organisms.
Lin
Qianxin
Q
Wetland Biogeochemistry Institute School of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA. comlin@lsu.edu
Mendelssohn
Irving A
IA
Carney
Kenneth
K
Miles
Scott M
SM
Bryner
Nelson P
NP
Walton
William D
WD
D000473:Alkanes / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005390:Fires; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000473:Alkanes; D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons