Abstract:

This dataset contains sediment analytical chemistry from three sites in Louisiana. Sediment was collected from the heavily oiled Grande Terre Island in 2010 and 2011, approximately one year apart. Sediment was also collected from a less oiled site on an unnamed island in Southern Wilkinson Bay and from a reference (unoiled) site in northern Bay Sansbois. Composite samples were taken at each of these sites along the shoreline. Plugs of sediment were removed every meter and combined and mixed. Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) embryos (derived from un-exposed adults) were exposed to these sediments to test for developmental effects. Here we report analytical chemistry results to characterize the average chemical content of crude oil constituents in sediments from the sampled field sites.

Suggested Citation:

Dubansky, B, Whitehead, A, Galvez, F. 2015. Analytical chemistry of sediments used in exposures of Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) embryos. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N73776PV

Purpose:

These data were intended to corroborate effects seen in embryos that were exposed to oiled sediments.

Data Parameters and Units:

The following spreadsheet has five separate sheets that include the data output from chemistry facilities in the School of the Coast and Environment, contracted through the Overton Lab and prepared by Scott Miles from sample preparation and output from GC/MS facilities. Additional sheets include summary data and a printable summary sheet of major constituents of interest that were detected in sediment samples. Sheets “GPS locations” ON this sheet, there is a table that has site names and the GPS location in decimal degrees. Sampling dates for each sediment sample on the following sheets are also included. “Summary Sediment Chemistry” This sheet includes the site names, GPS locations, original Field ID used during collection, the sediment dry weight (mass) in milligrams and the final liquid extraction volume used in analysis in milliliters. Additionally moisture content of the sediments upon submission to the chemistry lab were noted as % moisture of the total sediment dry weight. Two main sections were created to group the alkane and aromatic analytes detected in the analysis. Alkanes are listed in Row 8-36 in micrograms per gram (µg/g). A surrogate recovery percentage was also listed in the bottom row to indicate extraction efficiency as a percentage (i.e. by adding a surrogate chemical of known concentration). This was used to correct for extraction loss as reflected in the formula for the “surrogate corrected values” where each analyte gets divided by the percentage of surrogate recovery to reflect the actual predicted value in the sediments. Aromatic analytes are listed in Rows 50-92 and are treated the same, except these are reported in nanograms per gram (ng/g). “Printable Summary” This sheet presents the surrogate-corrected values for aromatics and alkanes in two printable sheets. This spreadsheet will print on 8.5” X 11” paper to include the relevant data for each sample site. Units for each page are specified and the same as above. “Raw Data” This sheet shows the machine output and the calculations that take into account the internal standards (nanograms), final volume (milliliters), dilution factor, volume injected into the machine (milliliters), initial weight of the sample (milligrams), and percent moisture to calculate the values seen on the previous sheets as a concentration per mass of sediment (µg/g or ng/g). “Raw Response” These data are the values of the peaks in the output from the GC/MS. They are used to calculate the “Raw Data” by using standards of known concentrations and comparing those peak heights to the peaks produced from the chemicals detected in the sediments.

Individual Files: