Sources, Distribution, and Fate of Hydrocarbons in the Vicinity of the Bahia Paraiso Spill, Arthur Harbor, Antarctica

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The grounding and subsequent leakage of petroleum from the Bahia Paraiso into the relatively pristine area of Arthur Harbor, Antarctic raised the spectre of a major ecological disaster caused by man's activities in polar climates. In response to initial reports of the release of substantial amounts of hydrocarbons to the environment, a multidisciplinary team of biologists, chemists and microbiologists was dispatched to the area. The environmental chemistry component of this program was directed at determining the extent of hydrocarbon contamination and its ultimate fate in the environment. Sampling included tissues (invertebrates and macroalgae), sediments, and water in both impacted as well as control areas far from the spill site. Concurrent biological effects programs were initiated by other investigators. This proposal involves the chemical analysis of samples collected during the field portion of this survey as well as follow.up monitoring of selected sites approximately one year later. The analytical program has several major components including: (l) characterization of fluids leaking from the vessel by molecular and isotopic analysis; (2) development of unique fingerprints to identify environmental hydrocarbons derived from the spill; (3) determination of the partitioning of hydrocarbons between the atmosphere, water, sediments and organisms after release to the environment; (4) documentation of the redistribution of hydrocarbons in the environment with time since the spill; (5) identifying and uniquely fingerprinting other sources of hydrocarbons in the area including natural biological sources (macroalgae, plankton, etc.) and (6) providing supportive analytical data for biological effects studies. Longer range goals of this program are to develop a broad understanding of the sources, fate and distribution of hydrocarbons in polar climates, as well as assessing the chemical contamination derived from field stations. These studies will assist in a better evaluation of the significance and impact of petroleum releases to the environment associated with man's activities in polar regions.