MRI RAPID: Acquisition of a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer to track oil molecular degradation in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Gulf of Mexico

PI请求核磁共振快速资金，以获得与质谱仪检测器(GC-MS)和加速分离提取(ASE)系统耦合的气相色谱仪。这些仪器将用于提取和表征受墨西哥湾大规模石油泄漏影响的沉积物和颗粒有机碳(POC)样品的有机成分。将特别注意石油生物标志物(如石油烷、甾烷、萜烷)和多环芳烃(PAHs)，它们是石油的主要成分，预计将在受漏油影响的地区发现越来越多的石油生物标志物。对几个月的沉积物和POC样品进行的GC-MS分析将被用来识别和量化油源有机物随时间和距离泄漏地点的变化。PI将比较整个水柱中受石油影响的样品的组成和降解产物，从表层到在墨西哥湾观察到的地下羽流。广泛影响这里提出的分析将有助于墨西哥湾漏油工作，因为它可以快速表征泄漏区域的石油降解产物，量化它们在整个水柱中作为不同降解过程的函数的差异，并确定它们被细菌群落同化。这将为大规模漏油事件的生物地球化学反应提供新的见解，有助于在当前墨西哥湾的反应工作中做出明智的决策。长远来说，购置GC-MS和提取系统，将会透过推动进修所举办的实验课程，补充海洋科学系所提供的课程。仪器将提供给UGA的其他研究人员使用。一名研究生将与PI合作，使用这两种仪器对墨西哥湾样本进行分析。

The PI requests MRI RAPID funding to acquire a Gas Chromatograph coupled to a Mass Spectrometer detector (GC-MS) and an Accelerated Separation Extraction (ASE) system. The instruments will be used to extract and characterize the organic composition of sediment and particulate organic carbon (POC) samples impacted by the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Particular attention will be given to petroleum biomarkers (e.g., hopanes, steranes, terpanes) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are predominant components of oils and are expected to be found at increased quantities in the area affected by the spill. GC-MS analysis of a several month-long time series of sediment and POC samples will be used to identify and quantify transformations of the oil-derived organic matter with time and distance from the spill site. The PI will compare the composition and degradation products of oil-impacted samples throughout the water column, from the surface to the subsurface plumes observed in the Gulf.Broader ImpactsThe analyses proposed here will benefit the Gulf oil spill efforts by rapidly characterizing the oil degradation products in the spill region, quantifying their differences throughout the water column as a function of different degradation process, and identifying their assimilation by the bacteria community. This will provide new insights in the biogeochemical response to a massive oil spill that will aid to informed decision making in the current response effort in the Gulf of Mexico. In the long term, the acquisition of an GC-MS and extraction system will complement courses offered by the Marine Science department through the implementation of laboratory sessions by the PI. Instruments will be made available for use by other researchers at UGA. A graduate student will work in collaboration with the PI on the analyses of Gulf of Mexico samples using both instruments.