title: Spatial and temporal distribution of water column total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) from the Deepwater Horizon (Macondo) incident.
abstract: Pre-spill background concentrations of TPH and PAH in water samples from the Gulf of Mexico are compared with samples (over 20,000) collected during and after the Deepwater Horizon incident (13,000 stations). Samples were collected by multiple response agencies, trustees and BP and reported in the Gulf Science Data. The samples were collected from a few m to over 800 km in all directions from the wellhead. During the incident, samples with the highest concentrations of hydrocarbons were collected proximal to the wellhead or in samples collected from surface slicks and dispersant use. Of the 13,172 water sample TPH concentrations reported, 84% were below 1 μg/L (background). Of the 16,557 water sample PAH concentrations reported, 79% were below 0.056 μg/L (the median field blank, background). The percentage of samples below background increased rapidly after the well was capped. The spatial and temporal distributions of these hydrocarbon data are presented.
authors.affiliation: Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG), Texas A&M University, 833 Graham Rd. College Station, TX 77845, USA. Electronic address: terry@gerg.tamu.edu.
authors.forename: Terry L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.affiliation: Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG), Texas A&M University, 833 Graham Rd. College Station, TX 77845, USA. Electronic address: jlsericano@geos.tamu.edu.
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sericano
authors.affiliation: Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG), Texas A&M University, 833 Graham Rd. College Station, TX 77845, USA. Electronic address: sweet@gerg.tamu.edu.
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Sweet
authors.affiliation: Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG), Texas A&M University, 833 Graham Rd. College Station, TX 77845, USA. Electronic address: tknap@tamu.edu.
authors.forename: Anthony H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Knap
authors.affiliation: Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG), Texas A&M University, 833 Graham Rd. College Station, TX 77845, USA. Electronic address: guinasso@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Norman L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Guinasso
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D060851:Gulf of America; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D059392:Petroleum Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Deepwater Horizon incident; Gulf science data; PAH; TPH; Water column