RAPID: Photochemical Fate of Oil Dispersants Used in the Gulf Oil Spill Clean-up

RAPID：海湾溢油清理中使用的油分散剂的光化学归宿

• 批准号: 1043818
• 负责人: Karl Linden
• 金额: $ 8.23万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-07-01 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1043818&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RAPID; Photochemical; Fate; Oil; Dispersants

AbstractPI: Karl LindenProposal Number: 1043818Institution: University of Colorado at BoulderTitle: Photochemical Fate of Oil Dispersants Used in the Gulf Oil Spill Clean-upThis research is in response to events subsequent to an explosion on the British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. One strategy that BP is taking to stem the flow of oil toward the shoreline is the use of dispersants. Dispersants are designed to break up large globules of oil into smaller droplets that would be more amenable to biodegradation. However, the use of dispersants is being carried out in larger quantities than ever before and being injected deep underwater at the source of the oil leak. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extremely concerned about the toxicity of the dispersant being used and issued a directive to BP ?to identify and use a less toxic and more effective dispersant from the list of EPA authorized dispersants?. This proposal was submitted to the RAPID program to provide quick response research relating to this anthropogenic disaster. The research to be performed under this RAPID proposal is to study the photochemical fate of the dispersants used in the spill clean-up effort to determine the extent to which sunlight driven processes can degrade the chemicals used. The environmental fate of the surfactants and hydrocarbons being spread into the ocean are relatively unknown. The objectives of this study are to (1) develop an analytical method to follow the decay of the dispersant (COREXIT) in the laboratory using a mass spectral fingerprint analysis; (2) Investigate the sunlight driven degradation of COREXIT in laboratory grade water and synthetic ocean waters; (3) Obtain environmental samples of water containing the dispersant and study the sunlight decay in the presence of the background water matrix and oil from the spill; and (4) Model and estimate the half life of identifiable chemicals in the dispersant, based on sunlight fluences experienced in the Gulf on the water surface.The intellectual merit of this proposal is to develop both fundamental and applied data that will help predict the photochemical fate of dispersants discharged into the Gulf of Mexico. Fundamental data include rate constants, quantum yields, and radical reaction rates, while the applied information relates to half-life of the chemicals and long-term potential for chemical impacts. The broader impacts for this project will focus mostly on the dissemination of results via media, public seminars and governmental agencies concerned with the environmental impacts of the oil spill. Their activities during travel to the gulf to survey the region and collect samples will be communicated using outlets such as web postings and Twitter. These tweets and Internet activity will be communicated to classes in session at University of Colorado-Boulder such as Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering in Fall and Spring 2010/11. Given the environmental significance of this disaster event and the technologies being implemented to deal with the situation, the team will use the information from the project and incorporate it into course material as part of a newly funded GK-12 by NSF at UC-Boulder. The student funded on this RAPID project will also participate in the GK-12 grant and will incorporate the results into lessons targeting the pros and cons of oil exploration and also the need for engineers in these areas. A simple experiment where an oil leak is simulated in a beaker, complete with dispersants, will also be developed as a ?hands-on? activity.

摘要PI：Karl Linden提案编号：1043818机构：位于博尔德的科罗拉多大学标题：海湾溢油清理中使用的石油分散剂的光化学命运这项研究是对路易斯安那州墨西哥湾英国石油公司（BP）深水地平线石油钻井平台爆炸事件的回应。 英国石油公司正在采取的一项阻止石油流向海岸线的策略是使用分散剂。 分散剂的设计目的是将大的油滴分解成更容易生物降解的小液滴。 然而，分散剂的使用量比以往任何时候都要大，并被注入石油泄漏源的水下深处。 美国环境保护署（EPA）对正在使用的分散剂的毒性极为关注，并向英国石油公司（BP？从美国环保署授权的分散剂清单中确定并使用毒性更小、更有效的分散剂。 该提案已提交给RAPID方案，以提供与这一人为灾害有关的快速反应研究。 根据该快速建议进行的研究是研究溢漏清理工作中使用的分散剂的光化学归宿，以确定阳光驱动的过程可以降解所使用的化学品的程度。 表面活性剂和碳氢化合物扩散到海洋中的环境命运相对未知。 本研究的目的是（1）开发一种分析方法，利用质谱指纹分析跟踪实验室中分散剂（COREXIT）的衰减：（2）调查COREXIT在实验室级水和合成海洋沃茨中的日光驱动降解;（三）获得含有分散剂的水的环境样品，并研究在背景水基质和油存在下的日光衰减，泄漏;（4）根据墨西哥湾水面上的阳光通量，模拟和估计分散剂中可识别化学品的半衰期，这一建议的智力价值是开发基础和应用数据，有助于预测排入墨西哥湾的分散剂的光化学归宿。 基本数据包括速率常数、量子产率和自由基反应速率，而应用信息涉及化学品的半衰期和化学影响的长期潜力。该项目的更广泛影响将主要侧重于通过媒体、公共研讨会和关注漏油对环境影响的政府机构传播成果。他们在前往海湾调查该地区和收集样本期间的活动将通过网络帖子和推特等渠道进行宣传。 这些推文和互联网活动将在科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的课程中进行交流，例如2010/11年秋季和春季的环境工程基础。 鉴于这一灾难事件的环境意义和正在实施的技术来处理这种情况，该团队将使用该项目的信息，并将其纳入课程材料，作为加州大学博尔德分校NSF新资助的GK-12的一部分。 在这个快速项目资助的学生也将参与GK-12赠款，并将结果纳入针对石油勘探的利弊教训，也需要在这些领域的工程师。 一个简单的实验，石油泄漏是在烧杯中模拟，完成分散剂，也将开发作为一个？亲自动手活动