Development of an effective sorbent for diesel fuel spill remediation remains an important challenge in the field of synthesis due to the potential capacity of sorbents to efficiently purify contaminated sites. Fly ash, a coal combustion by-product, was used as a raw material to synthesize two inexpensive zeolites (SZ-1 and SZ-2) for oil spill remediation using an alkali fusion approach prior to hydrothermal treatment. The sorbents were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and N2 adsorption/desorption. Diesel fuel sorption was used to examine the potential capacity of the synthetic zeolites to sorb oil and other petroleum products. Diesel fuel viscosity and density were determined at room temperature using a viscometer and a pycnometer, respectively. The synthetic zeolites exhibited a higher diesel fuel sorption capacity than fly ash. The SZ-1 zeolite sorbed approximately 1.43 g·g−1 and SZ-2 sorbed approximately 1.9 g·g−1. The sorption was mainly a physical process and mesopore filling seemed to play the dominant role. Sorbent textures were, therefore, vital for the sorption of petroleum products.

A ground-breaking judgment of the Australian Federal Court regarding the Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea in 2009, Sanda v PTTEP Australasia (Ashmore Cartier) Pty Ltd (No 7) (Sanda (No 7)),1 is one of the few Australian class actions to proceed to a favourable judgment for the claimants. It is also the first judgment against an Australian company for cross-border pollution loss suffered by foreign claimants.

This study focused on whether the presence of clay minerals (montmorillonite and kaolinite) in marine or coastal environments contaminated with high concentrations of heavy-oil spills were able to support the growth of hydrocarbon degraders to enable bioremediation. The bacterial growth experiment utilizing ~150 g/l of heavy oil (from the Nakhodka oil spill) was conducted with 1500 mg/l of montmorillonite or kaolinite. Bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa (isolated from Atake seashore, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan), capable of degrading heavy oil, was employed in combination with other hydrocarbon degraders inhabiting the heavy oil and seawater (collected from the Sea of Japan). The interactions among microbial cells, clay minerals and heavy oil were studied. Both clays were capable of promoting microbial growth and allowed microorganisms to proliferate (to a greater degree than in a control sample which contained no clay) in an extremely high concentration of heavy oil. Observation by transmission electron microscopy of the clay-oil-cell complexes showed that microbial cells tended to be bound primarily on the edges of the clays. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the clay-oil and clay-oil-cell complexes involved the adsorption of microbial cells and/or heavy oil on the external surfaces of the clays. How do the interactions among clay minerals, microbial cells and heavy oil contribute to environmental factors influencing the bioremediation process? To our knowledge, there are no previous reports on the use of clay minerals in the bioremediation of the Nakhodka oil spill in combination with biofilm formation.

An investigation was carried out on the bioavailability of kaolinite and the role it plays in remediating oil-polluted seawater, since kaolinite is known to enable hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria to grow well. Experimental results revealed that significant amounts of Al and Si dissolved from kaolinite were not observed ((P > 0.05) in comparison with a control sample which contained no kaolinite) in the aqueous phase during the ~24 day experimental period. Transmission electron microscope observations and energy-dispersive spectroscope data revealed that some altered kaolinite particles appeared, connected to intact kaolinite and bacterial cells. Bacterial cells were associated and encrusted with intact and/or altered kaolinite clay particles, where mixed (C, O, Na and Si)-precipitates of kaolinite clays were formed on the surface of hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial cells. However, the uptake of Si (from kaolinite) by bacterial cells appeared to be more prevalent than Al, and there were no significant changes in basal spacings of kaolinite due to these altered kaolinite particles. Separate studies showed that hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria have a high resistance to Si. Thus, the present data suggest that Si from kaolinite may facilitate hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial growth as shown in our previous study (Chaerun et al., 2005), and the C-O-Na-Si complexes on the surfaces of bacterial cell walls may be the stimulator for hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial growth in seawater contaminated with oil spill.

Although contingent valuation methods are now frequently used to assess the total value of even distant events, benefit-cost analysis could also be informed by observed behavior that links distant events and consumers. It is typically the news media which connect passive consumers to distant events about which they may or may not take action. The information and adaptation costs incurred by the news consumer are privately beneficial, but additionally are shown to be a lower bound to social welfare losses from a socially defined “bad” event under plausible circumstances. The recent Deepwater Horizon well blow-out in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico is a current example which we seek to inform by study of the oil spill from the Valdez, Alaska spill in 1989. We identify an incremental willingness to pay for news about the Exxon Valdez spill above a standard news broadcast and an increased probability of viewing a broadcast related to the spill. We develop and explain how this private value associated with media consumption can be interpreted as a partial measure of social costs for passive viewers who take no further action beyond news viewing and likely represent the majority of affected citizens (though not necessarily the majority of social costs). Though the per-person values of passive users may be modest in magnitude in the present application, some passive use values appear to be measurable, and that it may well be worth pursuing further the search for the faint but observable links between behavior and distant events through the news media.

This study aimed to determine the potential impact of an oil spill on intertidal meiofauna at a clean, sandy beach in Korea. This objective was accomplished by examining changes in the structure of meiofaunal assemblages after a controlled oil spill of different concentrations on the beach. The concentration of total petroleum hydrocabon (TPH) in the experimental plots after oil application was expectedly higher for the first 4 d compared to before oil application. The TPH concentrations decreased at a faster rate in the first 4 d, and then progressively. The sharp decline in meiofaunal density in the experimental plots during the first 4 d after the spill might be attributed to the short-term toxic effects of the oil. This suggestion is supported by a significant negative interaction of the TPH on meiofaunal density during the study period. The period of low density of meiofauna also coincided with the maximum concentration of TPH in the sediment. The multivariate indices proved to be highly efficient, showing that samples contaminated with oil had high TPH concentrations, and were partially separated in terms of meiofaunal communities from samples before oil application or samples with low TPH concentrations. The structure of the meiofaunal communities in the experimental plots was similar before and 1 month after oil application. However, the density of meiofauna sharply decreased immediately after oil application in the experiment plots. Furthermore, the meiofaunal density recovered slowly as time passed.

Background: Mental health issues are a significant concern after disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. This study was designed to assess the mental health effects on residents of areas of southeastern Louisiana affected by the oil spill.

Methods: Telephone and face-to-face interviews were conducted with residents (N = 452) assessing concerns and direct impact.

Results: The results show that the greatest effect on mental health related to the extent of disruption to participants' lives, work, family, and social engagement, with increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress. Given the location of the oil spill affecting communities that had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina, results also revealed that losses from Hurricane Katrina were highly associated with negative mental health outcomes. Conversely, the ability to rebound after adversity and place satisfaction were highly associated with better mental health outcomes.

Conclusions: Enhanced understanding of mental health effects after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill will help in determining directions for much-needed mental health services after the disaster and in contributing to the knowledge of complex traumatization and the ability to rebound after adversity.

(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2011;5:280–286)

The aim of this study was to analyse the genetic diversity and population structure in the razor clam Ensis siliqua along the European Atlantic coast taking into account their recent history of exploitation and the ‘Prestige' oil spill. To this end we examined the genetic variability of microsatellite markers in 211 razor clams from five populations in Ireland, Portugal and Spain. Microsatellite data revealed a low genetic differentiation between the Spanish and Portuguese populations (FST = 0–0.032) and a moderate differentiation of these populations and the Irish samples (FST = 0.071–0.100). Although we observed changes in genetic diversity in accordance with the level of exploitation and the distribution of the oil spill, these changes were mild and not significant after Bonferroni correction. This could be the result of a genuine low impact, lack of statistical power and/or the capacity of this species to recolonize quickly after the impact of anthropogenic stressors. Supporting the latter argument we found a significant temporal heterogeneity of allelic frequencies in samples coming from the same sampling locality that could be attributed to the movement of adults or larvae from unaffected source populations.

A large (100 km) rocky coast intertidal was sampled several times (from 2004 to 2006) to assess the affection degree of invertebrate assemblages impacted by a continuous oil spill. Twelve locations and two intertidal heights were selected along the coast representing two spatial scales (kilometres and tens of metres). Univariate and multivariate analyses of variance were used to test whether faunal assemblages exposed to different intensities of oil disturbance differ in terms of diversity, total cover, key species cover and trophic guilds. Whereas no significant differences in midshore assemblages were noted, the low intertidal zone exhibited comparatively lower abundance values of the limpet Patella ulyssiponensis at worst affected sites. Besides, a generalized increasing diversity trend was found in the low intertidal from 2004 to 2006. Natural variability of communities is also discussed as the cause of the differences we observed. With respect to spatial and temporal scales of variation, mid- intertidal communities showed a more consistent structure, while lowshore assemblages were markedly heterogeneous in practically all the variables measured.

After the sinking of the oil carrier ‘Prestige’, which occurred in November 2002, approximately 60,000 mt of heavy oil (type M-100) were spilled into the ocean. Immediately after the accident, a series of management measures were applied to fisheries in the area, resulting in the establishment of various closed areas. Four of the most important fleets operating in the north and north-east of the Iberian Peninsula were affected (otter trawl, pair trawl, purse seine and hand line fishing gears). These fleets exploit important fisheries resources, some of them currently beyond their biological security limits. Reductions in effort were observed in all of them, particularly in the first three months of the ban and in the north-eastern area. However, apart from the hand line fleet, this did not involve a considerable reduction in the total effort produced by each of the fleets in 2003. The pair trawlers perform two trip types, but no differences in the specific composition were observed in any of them during the three years under analysis. Five types of trawling trip were identified, but important reductions were only observed for Norwegian lobster, with the fleet targeting this species as well as hake, megrim and monkfish.

The impact of the “Erika” oil spill on the tidal rock pool community, and particularly on two species of sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus and Psammechinus miliaris), was investigated over a 3-year period, at Piriac-sur-Mer (Department of Loire-Atlantique, France, 47°21.6' N; 2°31.7' W). A dramatic increase in the abundance of two macroalgae Ulva sp. and Grateloupia doryphora occurred following a 100% mortality of sea urchins observed three weeks after the oil spill. The density of sea urchins and of other main herbivores, the periwinkle Littorina littorea and the trochid mollusks Gibbula umbilicalis and Gibbula pennantii, were monitored between January 2000 and March 2003. There was significant inverse relationship between the overall density of herbivores (sea urchins, periwinkles and trochid mollusks) and the percent cover of algae in the tidal pools. The first urchins in the tidal pools were observed two years after the oil spill and it took three years to reach sea urchin densities comparable to the reference value of 63 ind.m−2 obtained before the oil spill.

The tanker “Sea Empress” grounded at the entrance to Milford Haven in February 1996, releasing 72 000 t of Forties blend crude oil and 480 t of heavy fuel oil into the waters of southwest Wales. An estimated 15 000 t of emulsified oil came ashore along 200 km of coastline. A fishery exclusion zone was established to protect consumers of fish and shellfish, and monitoring was instigated in order to establish the degree and spread of contamination. A wide range of further studies were conducted with the aim of assessing the overall impact of the spill. In this paper we report on the establishment and subsequent lifting of fishing restrictions and the results of the fish and shellfish monitoring programme. The application of a range of biological effects techniques which illustrated sublethal impacts is also described. In retrospect, the impact of the spill was much less than would have been expected from the quantity of oil spilled. This was due to the circumstances of the spill, which led to fresh crude oil, amenable to chemical dispersion, being released during each ebb tide and carried into deep water to the south of Milford Haven. This enabled the extensive dispersant spraying operation, which included the aerial application of 446 tof chemical oil dispersant in order to enhance the rate of natural dispersion of the oil. This reduced the impact of the spill by preventing an additional 57 000 to 110 000 t of emulsified oil from impacting the beaches.

Oil spills can have direct effects on organisms (mortality or morbidity), indirect effects (through alteration of lower trophic levels) or be associated to exposure to trace elements contained in oil (markers). An effect of the “Erika” oil spill was investigated by spatio-temporally comparing mortality, population structures, diets and concentrations of vanadium, nickel and porphyrines in small delphinids, seals and otters from the French Atlantic coasts. These species might differ in their vulnerability to oil. Changes in mortality and its demographic structures were within previously observed ranges. The diet of the common dolphin showed an extended period of high inter-individual variability in the year 2000. Vanadium concentrations in delphinids were chronically high, but did not increase significantly after the oil spill. Porphyrins concentrations in seals and otters were low suggesting a limited exposure to contaminants, but the ratio between proto- and copro-porphyrins in otter spraints from oiled vs. unoiled sites varied significantly. No measurable effect of the “Erika” oil spill was found in dolphins and seals.

The transfer of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from bivalves, through the food chain to vertebrates was of concern. Our research aimed at estimating potential effects for consumers resulting from the ingestion of seafood contaminated by oil spill pollutants.After the “Erika” wreck, mussels (Mytilus sp.) were collected from sites of the Atlantic coast impacted to various degrees by the oil slick and constituted contaminated food for rats during 2 and 4 weeks. Genotoxic damage were studied in rats by means of COMET assay carried out in liver, bone marrow and peripheral blood. Biochemical and genomic effects such as the induction of CYP 1A1 and the expression of cytochrome genes were measured in rat livers. The most sensitive biological parameter reflecting the transfer of contaminants via the food appeared to be DNA breaks studied by means of the COMET assay. Genotoxic damage, observed mainly in the liver, were rather moderate and remained not persistent. This study underlined the bioavailability of pollutants in fuel oil contaminated mussels for consumers, and the complexity of the contamination consecutive to the oil spill. The occurrence of related PAH compounds in addition to non-substituted PAHs in fuel oils and mussels raised the question of their implication in the registered effects.