Abstract:

Extraction and characterization of petrogenic carbon from coastal saltmarsh sediments collected from 9 to 48 months post-spill catalogue molecular transformations of petrogenic species in an active, dynamic saltmarsh ecosystem. We catalogue molecular-level degradation patterns that occur to oil compounds buried in salt marsh sediment in northern Barataria Bay by Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry. Tens-of-thousands, highly polar (acidic), oxygen-containing transformation products are identified at the level of molecular formula assignment, and monitored from 9 - 48 months post-spill. Samples were collected from northern Barataria Basin of Louisiana, USA, approximately 8km x 5km (coordinates N 29.44060° - 29.47459°, W 89.88492° - 89.94647°), with 21 sampling locations (seven each that received either no oiling [i.e., reference], moderate oiling, or heavy oiling) categorized based on the Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) Program (28 April 2010) and field observations. No cleanup events at the sampling sites were noted during this period.

Suggested Citation:

Huan Chen, Aixin Hou, Yuri E. Corilo, Qianxin Lin, Jie Lu, Irving A. Mendelssohn, Rui Zhang, Ryan P. Rodgers, and Amy M. McKenna. 2016. Temporal, Molecular-level Analysis of Barataria Bay sediments over a 4-year period (2011-2014) after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill by Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass spectrometry. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7Q52MNC

Publications:

Chen, H., Hou, A., Corilo, Y. E., Lin, Q., Lu, J., Mendelssohn, I. A., … McKenna, A. M. (2016). 4 Years after the Deepwater Horizon Spill: Molecular Transformation of Macondo Well Oil in Louisiana Salt Marsh Sediments Revealed by FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry . Environmental Science & Technology, 50(17), 9061–9069. doi:10.1021/acs.est.6b01156

Purpose:

To identify polar transformation products, and their temporal variation in contaminated Barataria Bay sediment samples that experienced different degrees of oil contamination.

Data Parameters and Units:

Peak number; Mass; Relative Abundance; RP; Kendrick Mass; Nominal Mass = Mass of a molecular ion or molecule calculated using the isotope mass of the most abundant constituent element isotope of each element rounded to the nearest integer value and multiplied by the number of atoms of each element (Dalton); Odd/Even; Nom. Z = nominal charge; KMD = Kendrick Mass Defect (exact Kendrick Mass subtracted from the nominal (integer) Kendrick Mass); Series Fit; DBE = double bond equivalent; Group; Molecular Formula; Noise threshold; Peak threshold; voltage; % Loss Relative to Macondo Well Oil (MWO) (Total petroleum hydrocarbon, Chrysene, C1-Chrysenes, C2-Chrysenes, C3-Chrysenes); extracted time since Deepwater Horizon oil spill (9, 24, 36, and 48 months); Time (min); Signal intensity x 10^6 (a.u.); Macondo Well Oil (MWO) and salt marsh extracts over time (9 mo, 18 mo, 24 mo, 31 mo, 36 mo, 43 mo, 48 mo); Class; Number of peaks; % Total; AMW average; AW Average C#; AW Average DBE; AW average H/C; AW average O/C; AW average S/C; AW average N/C; AW average C/C; Mass; Relative Abundance; Theoretical Mass; Error; Molecular Formula; Experimental m/z; Recalibrated m/z Site Latitude (decimal degrees) Logitude (decimal degrees) 1 29.4406 -89.90432 2 29.45843 -89.9092 3 29.45563 -89.88975 4 29.45673 -89.8863 5 29.44893 -89.93904 6 29.44105 -89.93337 7 29.45087 -89.89541 8 29.46045 -89.92133 9 29.45439 -89.8977 10 29.45914 -89.94647 11 29.47042 -89.89387 12 29.46539 -89.91216 13 29.46095 -89.88492 14 29.44812 -89.92171 15 29.4622 -89.92577 16 29.46202 -89.92854 17 29.46624 -89.93355 18 29.46869 -89.93079 19 29.46926 -89.92708 20 29.47227 -89.92883 21 29.47495 -89.93376 Oiling: Sites 1-7 = Heavy oiling; Sites 8-14 = moderate oiling; Sites 15-21 = reference sites

Methods:

FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry and GC-FID

Error Analysis:

Measurements were performed in triplicate, with associated error bars

Individual Files: