Sand and oil mixtures persisting as surface residual oil balls (SRBs) from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill were collected from beaches along the Gulf coast.To examine the potential for SRBs to re-release oil back into the marine environment an incubation experiment was conducted over the course of one year. Three sets of SRBs collected in Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana were incubated in seawater microcosms and subjected to varying degrees of photooxidation and biodegradation. At time points during the incubation, oil compounds were extracted from the surrounding seawater and examined to quantify both the total oil released (via GC-FID) as well as changes in the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (via GC-MS). Comparisons between mesocosms incubated under different conditions will improve our overall understanding of the importance of photooxidation and biodegradation of oil and will provide insight into how SRBs are weathered in the marine environment.

Examining the desorption of oil from persistent surface residual oil balls (SRBs)

249th National Meeting (2015)

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