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

在全球范围内，清理泄漏到海洋环境中的石油是一项成本高昂且长期存在的挑战。最近，人们把注意力集中在石油矿物聚集对受石油污染海岸的自然净化所产生的影响上。石油-矿物聚集是小油滴和沉积物颗粒在湍流悬浮液中碰撞和粘附的过程。油滴被沉积物覆盖，防止油滴重新聚结或粘在岸上。这些小液滴分散并被自然产生的微生物群落迅速降解。各种各样的研究表明，这一自然过程与受石油污染的海岸的快速自然清理有关，然而，溢油响应界仍然缺乏预测何时何地有效的工具。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油-矿物团聚体（OMA）中油的含量之间的关系。拟议研究的目标是在该领域扩展这些实验室关系。我建议评估芬迪湾北岸形成OMA的可能性。在实地，我们将通过部署粒度设备和收集和分析水样来测量沉积物的大小和浓度。这些地点将在几年的春季、秋季和夏季被占用，以评估可能的季节性和年际影响。通过测量颗粒大小和浓度，将根据我们的实验室关系预测OMA形成的程度。这些预测将在加入了石油的搅拌悬浮液中得到检验。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自然过程的前沿，帮助恢复受石油泄漏影响的海岸线。

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.