Abstract:
This report contains shoreline sediment and soil chemistry data and provides additional context for the posted dataset, including information about the collection, analysis, and organization of the data. This data posting differs from other recently published datasets relating to the Gulf of Mexico in several respects: This Shoreline Sediment and Soil Chemistry dataset focuses only on information related to petroleum-related chemical constituents and associated parameters in sediment and soil samples. Chemical compounds that are not present in oil (such as polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, and halogenated volatiles) are not included in this dataset. This dataset includes data from independent studies performed by BP contractors. BP has been working to produce and organize these independent data, and has engaged outside consultants to perform quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) checks. As a result, these data have not previously been publicly accessible. • This dataset combines results from fourteen NRDA studies and four Response studies to create a unified data file. Certain Response data have been adjusted for surrogate recoveries as described below. Before posting, extensive work was done to verify some aspects of the posted information (e.g., positional coordinates and field data transcriptions). The focus of this data posting is chemistry data associated with shoreline sediment and soil samples collected in both federal and state jurisdictional waters in the Gulf of Mexico from 2010-04-29 through 2012-12-09\. Additionally, sediment/soil-associated aqueous samples (e.g., leachates) are also provided in this data posting. More than 15,000 shoreline sediment and soil samples with associated chemistry analyses are included in this data posting. These samples were collected at more than 4,000 sampling stations during 18 studies. These studies can be classified into four general categories: NRDA Cooperative—Studies conducted as part of the NRDA which were agreed to and executed cooperatively by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), and/or other Trustees, and BP. BP NRDA Independent—Studies conducted by BP independently to develop data to support and inform the NRDA. Trustee Independent—Studies conducted by NOAA, DOI, and/or other Trustees independently to develop data to support and inform the NRDA. Response (non-NRDA)—Studies conducted by BP and/or government representatives under the direction of the Unified Area Command and in association with activities performed in response to the DWH accident (the Response). The chemical parameters provided in this data posting include: Parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), saturated hydrocarbons (SHC), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), including parameters reported as total extractable material (TEM) and total extractable hydrocarbon (TEH), benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylenes (BTEX) and other volatile hydrocarbons classified as paraffins, isoparaffins, aromatics, naphthenes, and olefins (PIANO), geochemical biomarkers (sterane and triterpane), where available metals, Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Percent moisture or percent solids, Grain size parameters. The chemical analyte lists are generally consistent between studies for the standard PAH, SHC, and BTEX compounds. However, portions of the dataset also include analysis of the extended PIANO volatile hydrocarbon list, TPH, or geochemical biomarkers. Additionally, NRDA PAH analyses include an extended list of parent and alkylated decalins, benzothiophenes, naphthobenzothiophenes, and several other PAHs and related chemicals that were not included in Response analyses. This dataset includes data associated with natural field samples, along with the associated field-collected quality control samples, such as field replicates, equipment blanks, field blanks, and trip blanks. Laboratory duplicate samples are provided, where available. No other laboratory quality control samples (e.g., laboratory blanks and spike samples) are included in this data posting. The Trustees developed an approach for screening sediments for the potential presence of oil using analysis by gas chromatography/flame ionization detection (GC/FID) and visual inspection of the resulting chromatograms. Through this visual inspection of the chromatograms, screened samples were categorized by comparing the amount of oil (of any source) present in the sample, if any, to the abundance of naturally-occurring organic matter (NOM) as determined by the chromatographic character of the extractable hydrocarbons. The Trustees developed the following four classification levels: A = Oil is present in excess of NOM, B = Oil is present in comparable abundance to NOM, C = Trace oil is present but is exceeded by NOM, D = No obvious oil, overwhelmingly comprised of NOM. All samples classified by Trustee representatives in the preliminary screening phase as Category A, B, or C were sent for further laboratory analysis to aid with characterizing the source of the oil present in the sediments. A subset of the Category D samples was also sent for further laboratory analysis. Within this Shoreline Sediment and Soil Chemistry dataset posting of approximately 15,500 analytical samples, only 4 samples have TPH screening classification levels available on the Trustees website.
Data Parameters and Units:
Data Publication Date = Date associated with the current data posting date (M/D/YYYY); Data Publication Reference = A general description of data provided in the data posting (i.e., Shoreline Sediment and Soil Chemistry) and a version control number.; Study Reference No. = Study reference number (SRN) assigned by BP to provide a link between the data provided in the data file and the associated work plans and study descriptions provided on the Gulf Science Data website (gulfsciencedata.bp.com).; Study Name = The study name used by the original investigator or by NOAA. Related studies are also grouped together under a single harmonized group study name (the next column). Some independent BP studies have only a single harmonized study name. This study name may be referenced by some documentation and other data systems.; Harmonized Study Name = A BP assigned name to a group of related sample collection efforts to aid with organization of the data. This name is part of the primary key of this table and is used within other documents provided at gulfsciencedata.bp.com.; Location or Station ID = A name given to the location where samples were collected. Many samples were collected opportunistically in the field, targeting observed or suspected oil presence, and the locations were not assigned a name. Therefore, not all samples have a location ID.; Interpretive Sample ID = The identifier given to represent a unique combination of location, date (and time) and depth. This identifier is part of the primary key of this table.; Sample Date = The date on which the sample was collected (M/D/YYYY); Sample Time = The time at which the sample was collected. Times were not recorded for all samples.; Latitude = The north latitude, in decimal degrees, where the sample was collected. This coordinate (with the corresponding longitude) may be either the specific location of the sample or the location assigned to the station where sampling was conducted. See the text for a discussion of sample coordinates and the selection of data from either the BP or Query Manager database systems.; Longitude = The west longitude, in decimal degrees, where the sample was collected. See the description of the latitude column.; Spatial Zone = Short coded descriptor to indicate general location of the samples. Seven zones have been assigned. Five zones are coded to capture water samples located within the state jurisdictional boundaries of Louisiana (LA), Alabama (AL), Mississippi (MS), Texas (TX) and Florida (FL). Two zones are coded to capture water sample located within the federal waters outside of the state jurisdictions. The code “Wellhead” is assigned to samples collected within a 10 nautical miles (nmi) radius of the DWH wellhead and the code “Federal” is assigned to samples collected beyond the 10 nmi radius.; Upper Depth = The upper depth of the sample (cm); Lower Depth = The lower depth of the sample (cm); Depth Unit = The units for sample upper and lower depths. Depth values for water samples are converted to meters as a rule.; Field Fraction = Indicates whether the dissolved fraction, the particulate fraction, or the total sample was collected and submitted for analysis.; Sample Type = Indicates whether the sample is a natural environmental sample, a field QC sample (i.e., a blank), or a lab QC sample.; Field Matrix = The most general description of the substance collected and submitted for analysis.; Field Sample Material = The most specific description of the substance collected and submitted for analysis. Only the matrix is reported for samples with attributes taken from Query Manager.; Collection or Core = An identifier that links interpretive samples that were collected together, such as by a single gear deployment. For sediment core samples, this identifies the core: all interpretive samples with the same core identifier are from the same core.; Field Data Verification Status = Summary of the field data verification process status described in Appendix C. Valid entries - Not started, Underway, and Complete.; Field Data Verification Results = Summary of the field data verification process results as described in Appendix C for samples which have a field data verification status of “Complete”.; Analytical Sample ID = The client sample identifier given to a portion of the interpretive sample, or to the whole interpretive sample, when submitted to a laboratory for analysis. There may be one or several analytical sample IDs for each interpretive sample ID.; Lab = The laboratory generating analytical chemistry data for the sample.; Laboratory Sample ID = The internal laboratory sample identifier for the sample.; ASR Number = Analytical Request Form or Analytical Service Request number associated with dataset. Not all samples have an ASR or related number.; SDG = The Sample Delivery Group: an identifier for a batch of samples (typically 20 samples) that are simultaneously prepared, analyzed, and reported by the laboratory.; Lab Matrix = The most general description of the substance, or fraction thereof that is analyzed.; Lab Material = The most specific description of the substance, or fraction thereof that is analyzed.; Parameter Type = The basic group to which the chemical belongs. Analytes inlcude PIANO; benzene; toluene; ethylbenzene; xylene; paraffins; isoparaffins; aromatics; napthenes; olefins; PAH; aPAH; polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons; alkylated polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons; other polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons; SHC; saturated hydrocarbons; biomarkers; metals; steranes; triterpanes; total organic carbon; total PAH (50); grain size; solids; moisture; Chemical Name = The name of the chemical analyzed. An effort has been made to harmonize the chemical naming conventions, where possible. During the ongoing QA process, this harmonization will be further refined and provided in subsequent versions of this database.; Chemical Code = A standardized system-specific code to uniquely identify each chemical. Chemical codes are one-to-one homologous with chemical names.; Chemical Type = Indicates whether the chemical is a target analyte or an added standard (e.g., surrogate).; Concentration – NDs at MDLs = The reported concentration of the chemical in the sample, or the detection limit for non-detect results.; Concentration – NDs at Zero = The reported concentration of the chemical in the sample, or a zero value for non-detect results.; Unit = The units of the associated concentration value (ug/kg, pct, mg/kg, pctPass, ug/L); Final Qualifiers = The data qualifiers that should be used with the concentration value for data analysis and interpretation. This column may contain a packed string of the qualifiers “U”, “J”, “R”, “T”, and “F”, which are defined in the AQAP.; Validation Qualifiers = Qualifiers applied by the data validation firm.; Lab Qualifiers = The data qualifiers originally applied by the analytical laboratory.; Nondetect Flag = Indicates whether or not the analyte was detected in a sample. This is equivalent to a final qualifier that includes “U”.; Validation Level = The type and amount of data validation performed; see the AQAP for a description of the validation levels used.; Reporting Limit = The laboratory determined reporting limit associated with each chemical result; Method Detection Limit = The laboratory determined method detection limit associated with each chemical result;; Measurement Basis = Indicates whether a concentration value is expressed in terms of the wet weight or dry weight of the environmental medium.; Lab Fraction = Indicates whether the sample was filtered in the laboratory prior to analysis to obtain the dissolved fraction. This field does not capture information related to field filtration.; Preparation Method = Method used to prepare the sample for analysis and as reported by the laboratory.; Analytical Method = Method used to produce the measured concentration and as reported by the laboratory.; Base Analytical Method = A generalization of the analytical method, standardized across laboratory-specific variations in the specific analytical method to aid the data user with categorizing samples by analysis type.; Lab Replicate = Code to distinguish multiple measurements when all other identifying attributes are identical.; Dilution Factor = The factor by which the sample was diluted for analysis.; Date Extracted = The date that the sample was extracted at the laboratory (M/D/YYYY); Data Analyzed = The date that the sample was analyzed to produce the reported concentration (M/D/YYYY);BTEX;
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