title: Fingerprint and weathering characteristics of stranded oils after the Hebei Spirit oil spill.
abstract: After the Hebei Spirit oil spill in December 2007, mixtures of three types of Middle East crude oil were stranded along 375 km of coastline in Western Korea. Stranded oils were monitored for their identity and weathering status in 19 stations in three provinces. The results obtained using a weathering model indicated that evaporation would be a dominant weathering process immediately after the spill and the sequential changes of chemical composition in the field verified this prediction positively. In the early stages of weathering, the half-life of spilled oil was calculated to be 2.6 months. Tiered fingerprinting approaches identified background contamination and confirmed the identity of the stranded oils with the spill source. Double ratios using alkylated phenanthrenes and dibenzothiophenes in samples after the spill clearly reveal the impact of weathering on oil. However, to derive defensible fingerprinting for source identification and allocation, recalcitrant biomarkers are extremely useful. Weathering status of the stranded oils was evaluated using composition profiles of saturated hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and various weathering indices. Most samples collected 8 months after the spill were categorized in either the advanced or extreme weathering states. Gradual increase in toxic components in the residual oil through weathering emphasizes the need for adaptive ecotoxicological approaches.
authors: Oil and POPs Research Group, South Sea Research Institute, KORDI, Geoje, Republic of Korea.
authors: Un Hyuk
authors: UH
authors: Yim
authors: Sung Yong
authors: SY
authors: Ha
authors: Joon Geon
authors: JG
authors: An
authors: Jong Ho
authors: JH
authors: Won
authors: Gi Myung
authors: GM
authors: Han
authors: Sang Hee
authors: SH
authors: Hong
authors: Moonkoo
authors: M
authors: Kim
authors: Jee-Hyun
authors: JH
authors: Jung
authors: Won Joon
authors: WJ
authors: Shim
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D015415:Biomarkers; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D006207:Half-Life; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D056910:Republic of Korea; D014887:Weather
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D015415:Biomarkers; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds