Assessing the potential for oil-mineral aggregation in the coastal ocean

清理泄漏到海洋环境中的石油是地球仪面临的一项代价高昂的长期挑战。 最近，人们的注意力一直致力于石油矿物聚集可能对油污海岸的自然净化的影响。 油-矿物聚集是指小油滴和沉积物颗粒在湍流悬浮液中碰撞和粘附的过程。 沉积物覆盖在油滴上，防止油滴重新聚结或粘附在海岸上。 小液滴分散并被自然存在的微生物群落迅速降解。 各种研究表明，这一自然过程可以迅速自然地清理油污海岸，但溢油应急界仍然缺乏工具来预测它在何时何地有效。 特别是，沉积物的大小和浓度对石油矿物聚集程度的影响直到最近才得到很好的了解。在过去的三年里，在我的实验室里，我们已经建立了沉积物大小和浓度与石油矿物聚集体（OMA）中石油含量之间的关系。 拟议的研究的目标是在该领域扩展这些实验室的关系。我建议评估沿着芬迪湾北方形成OMA的潜力。 在实地，我们将通过部署粒度测量设备以及收集和分析水样来测量沉积物的大小和浓度。 将在几年内的春季、秋季和夏季占据这些地点，以评估可能的季节性和年际影响。 通过测量颗粒尺寸和浓度，将根据我们的实验室关系预测OMA形成的程度。 这些预测将通过搅动添加了油的悬浮液来检验。 然后用共聚焦激光扫描显微镜测量OMA形成的实际程度。这项研究将继续使加拿大处于研究协助恢复受石油泄漏影响的海岸线的自然过程的前沿。

The clean-up of oil spilled into the marine environment is a costly and perennial challenge around the globe.  Recently, attention has been devoted to the effects that oil-mineral aggregation can have on the natural cleansing of oiled shores.  Oil-mineral aggregation is the process by which small oil droplets and sediment particles collide and adhere in turbulent suspensions.  The coating of oil droplets with sediment prevents the droplets from re-coalescing or sticking to the shore.  The small droplets disperse and are degraded rapidly by naturally occurring microbial communities.  A variety of studies have implicated this natural process in the rapid natural cleansing of oiled shores, yet the spill response community still lacks the tools to predict where and when it will be effective.  In particular, the effects of sediment size and concentration on extent of oil-mineral aggregation until recently have not been well understood. Over the past three years in my laboratory, we have established relationships that link sediment size and concentration to the amount of oil incorporated into oil-mineral aggregates (OMA).  The goal of the proposed research is to extend these laboratory relationships in the field. I propose to assess the potential for OMA formation along the northern shore of the Bay of Fundy.  In the field we will make measurements of sediment size and concentration by deploying particle sizing equipment and by gathering and analyzing water samples.  Sites will be occupied in the spring, fall and summer over several years to evaluate possible seasonal and interannual effects.  With measurements of particle size and concentration, predictions of the extent of OMA formation will be made based on our laboratory relationships.  These predictions will be tested by agitating suspensions to which oil has been added.  The actual extent of OMA formation will then be measured with a confocal laser scanning microscope. This research will continue to place Canada at the forefront of research into a natural process that assists in the recovery of shorelines affected by oil spills.