BP Oil From Spill Is Not Degrading And Still Fouling Our Coast.
In a not at all surprising publication by researchers at Auburn [see link above], it has been found that large amounts of undegraded oil is still present in the gulf and ready to wash up in storms. It is also contaminating the seabed and poses all manner of ecological risks. Contrary to what we have been told, busy bacteria did not just eat all of the oil, and the oil has not just dispersed. In big storms it washes up over the beaches and it has not degraded so much at all.
We located a number of large (tens of centimeters in diameter) tar mat samples in the surf zone at several locations along Alabama’s coastline. These samples had a strong hydrocarbon odor and our visual observation indicated the sample looked very similar to fresh oil mass deposited on these beaches more than a year earlier. These samples were preserved and transported to our laboratory at Auburn University for
chemical analysis…
…it was estimated that the tar mat contained approximately 17% oil by mass. This is an important result which indicates that every kilogram of oil that reached the Alabama shoreline had the potential to create about 5 kg of submerged tar mat…
So the oil produces a lot of mess underwater.
This study indicates that the tar mat fragments that appeared on Alabama’s beaches after Tropical Storm Lee and the emulsified oil that impacted Alabama’s beaches in June 2010 have essentially identical MRM total ion chromatograms (GC/MS/MS fingerprints). In addition, the concentration and relative quantity of PAHs in submerged tar mats present off Alabama’s beaches today have not substantially changed from those present in the emulsified oil which arrived over a year ago.
And it is the same oil as the spill by direct chemical fingerprint.
These findings are important in a number of ways. First, the results indicate that the tar mat samples are indeed related to the BP Deepwater Horizon event. Also, the data question the validity of the widely held belief that submerged oil from the Deepwater Horizon accident is substantially weathered and thus depleted of most PAHs. Also, it supports the hypothesis that submerged oil may continue to pose some level of long‐term risk to near‐ shore ecosystems. This storm event demonstrates the potential for remobilization by similar storm events in the future. However, the magnitude of such future events cannot be determined a priori with any level
certainty. Finally, our data questions the commonly used phrase ‘tar mat.’ The results presented here make a case that the submerged material are not highly weathered recalcitrant tars (implied by the term ‘tar mat.’) Rather, they appear to be relatively fresh and similar to the oil that impacted Alabama’s beaches in June of 2010. Hence, referring to these materials as submerged ‘oil mats’ rather than ‘tar mats’ is perhaps better terminology.
Republicans tell us that we don’t need any “job killing” regulations on the oil industry. Chambers of commerce tell us seafood from there is all safe to eat. We are supposed to be good little consumers and ignore the gunk that is still coming up on the beaches and lurking in the water by the tonne.
But, by no means should we consider producing clean energy and creating jobs that way, in a sustainable manner that won’t destroy our land and coasts. Wouldn’t it be nice if we got to live clean lives that were not dictated by someone else’s bottom line and if our politicians cared about the bottom line of America and Americans first?
