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

巴伊亚帕拉索的石油搁浅和随后的石油泄漏进入相对原始的南极亚瑟港地区，引发了人类在极地气候下的活动造成的重大生态灾难的阴影。根据有关向环境释放大量碳氢化合物的初步报告，一个由生物学家、化学家和微生物学家组成的多学科小组被派往该地区。该计划的环境化学部分旨在确定碳氢化合物污染的程度及其在环境中的最终命运。采样包括组织（无脊椎动物和大型藻类）、沉积物和受影响区域以及远离泄漏地点的控制区域的水。同时进行的生物效应项目由其他研究者发起。这项建议包括对这次调查的实地部分收集的样品进行化学分析，以及后续工作。大约一年后对选定地点进行监测。分析程序有几个主要组成部分，包括：(1)通过分子和同位素分析表征从容器泄漏的流体；(2)开发独特的指纹来识别来自泄漏的环境碳氢化合物；(3)测定释放到环境中的碳氢化合物在大气、水、沉积物和生物之间的分配；(4)记录自漏油事件发生以来碳氢化合物在环境中的再分配情况；(5)识别该地区其他碳氢化合物来源，包括天然生物来源（大型藻类、浮游生物等）和(6)为生物效应研究提供支持性分析数据。该项目的长期目标是对极地气候中碳氢化合物的来源、命运和分布有更广泛的了解，并评估来自实地监测站的化学污染。这些研究将有助于更好地评价与人类在极地地区的活动有关的石油释放对环境的重要性和影响。

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.