RAPID: MRI: Acquisition of an oil extraction system and gas chromatograph with mass spectrometer for the extraction and analysis of DWH crude oil in Gulf sands.

PI要求核磁共振快速资金购买GCMS、溶剂萃取器和蒸发器，以帮助处理他们为NSF OCE快速资助收集的大量样本，以调查埋藏石油的命运及其降解率，以便能够预测埋藏石油产生的潜在有毒影响。他们目前正在FSU化学系的一台共享仪器上运行他们的样本。这台机器上的样本负载已经很高，现在需要处理更多的样本，因为FSU的石油研究正在扩大。分析需要相对较长的时间，样本已经积压了。随着FSU越来越多的研究人员参与到墨西哥湾漏油研究中来，GCMS的另一个共享用途的增加将使NSF资助的众多漏油项目受益。广泛影响石油污染对墨西哥湾海滩构成了重大威胁，可能会在未来多年影响这些环境。以前的研究表明，埋藏的石油可以在海滩沉积物中持续数十年，但目前还没有关于埋在墨西哥湾海滩的这次漏油的石油降解率的信息。了解油类在海湾沙滩上的吸收、运输和降解情况，是评估海滩毒素释放及其对旅游业和渔业影响的先决条件。该仪器将加强海湾地区机构和外国语大学各系之间的合作，并在迅速扩大的研究领域为学生提供关于最先进的GC/MS系统的培训。

The PI's request MRI RAPID funding to acquire a GCMS, solvent extractor and evaporator to aid in processing the massive number of samples they are collecting for an NSF OCE RAPID funded to investigate the fate of buried oil and its degradation rate in order to allow predictions of potential toxic effects originating from buried oil. They are currently running their samples on a shared instrument at the FSU Department of Chemistry. The sample load on that machine is already high and now many more samples need to be processed with oil research expanding at FSU. The analyses take a relatively long time and samples are already getting backlogged. With increasing number of researchers at FSU getting involved in the Gulf oils spill research the addition of another shared use GCMS will benefit numerous NSF funded oil spill projects.Broader ImpactsThe oil pollution presents a major threat to the Gulf beaches that may impact these environments over many years. Previous research indicates that buried oil can persist in beach sediments for decades, but no information presently is available on the degradation rates of the oil from this spill buried in Gulf beaches. Understanding the uptake, transport and degradation of oil in sandy Gulf beaches is prerequisite for assessing beach toxin release and thus impact on tourism and fishery industries. This instrumentation will enhance collaboration between Gulf institutions and departments at FSU, and provide training for students on a state of the art GC/MS system in a rapidly expanding field of research.