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# 2017-148 2017 In-situ burning presents an attractive oil spill response option with high oil removal efficiency and low personnel requirements. In recent times, surfactant chemicals termed ‘herding agents’ have been proposed to promote collection/thickening of spilled oil to facilitate in-situ burning activities. The approach could prove specifically useful in light pack ice and general Arctic conditions. In April 2015, a series of five in-situ burning field tests were conducted in Fairbanks, Alaska, in a large, 8100 m2 man-made test basin, which successfully demonstrated the ability to aerially conduct an entire herder-assisted in-situ burn activity, including herder application and oil ignition. During the demonstration, samples were collected from the water in the basin (prior to, during and after the tests), from the burn residue in the basin, and atmospheric samples during the burn with the goal to understand the environmental partitioning of OP-40 herder compound immediately after the demonstration. The basin tests were a closed system which allowed insight to herder fate and transport, although the concentrations measured were unrepresentative of what would happen in the open sea. Analytical methods were developed for quantification of herders in water, air and are currently being evaluated for the burn residue. Test results indicate no herder in the air samples. Unlike the ocean, where the small amounts of herder would rapidly disperse, the water confined in the basin enabled us to study the partitioning of herder between the water and residue and also observe the biodegradation of herder over time. The results from this study provide a useful snapshot of partitioning of herder in various environmental compartments. Future directions include corroborating these findings with precise laboratory measurements.