Effects of the Gulf War oil spill in relation to trace metals in water, particulate matter, and PAHs from the Kuwait coast

Bu-Olayan, A. H.; Subrahmanyam, M.N.V.; Al‐Sarawi, M.; Thomas, B. V.

doi:10.1016/s0160-4120(98)00056-7

Cited by 33 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Immediately after arrival of the hydrographic bottles to the deck of the R/V Atalante, the water samples were taken for the analysis of zinc using new low-density polyethylene bottles Marañon, 2000) y su presencia, con el zinc entre ellos, en el crudo vertido a la costa de Kuwait durante la guerra del Golfo se ha señalado como causa de una importante contaminación litoral (Bu-Olayan et al, 1998). El fuel pesado transportado por el pretrolero Prestige contiene, en base al análisis de su emulsión, en torno a 1 ppm de zinc, y las observaciones por satélite de la superficie oceánica en la zona de hundimiento del buque indicaron la presencia de manchas de fuel, por lo que SASEMAR (Sociedad Española de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima) planteó la campaña denominada PRESTINAUT para evaluar, entre otras cuestiones, la posibilidad de contaminación en la columna de agua.…”

Section: Methodsunclassified

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Zinc concentrations in the water column influenced by the oil spill in the vicinity of the Prestige shipwreck

Prego¹,

Cobelo-Garcı́a²

2003

Cienc. Mar.

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IntroducciónEl zinc es un elemento relativamente abundante en la naturaleza (70 µg g -1 en la corteza terrestre; Wedepohl, 1991) y que resulta esencial para los seres vivos. El agua oceánica contiene entre 0.05 y 9 nM Zn con un valor medio de 6 nM (Millero y Sohn, 1992) y la contaminación por este metal ocurre normalmente en los ecosistemas costeros que son dañados desde el litoral por vertidos urbanos e industriales (Nriagu y Pacyna, 1988), los cuales originan un incremento de sus concentraciones en agua y sedimento, detectables en algunos puntos de la costa gallega (Prego y Cobelo-García, 2003). Por el contrario, la contaminación del agua oceánica por zinc es algo inusual.La existencia de metales pesados en el petróleo es consustancial a su origen (hasta un 0.03% de metales; IntroductionZinc is a relatively abundant element in the environment (70 µg g -1 in the continental crust; Wedepohl, 1991) and is essential for living organisms. Concentrations of zinc in ocean waters range from 0.05 to 9 nM, with an average value of 6 nM (Millero and Sohn, 1992). Contamination by this metal normally occurs in the coastal systems impacted by urban and industrial effluents (Nriagu and Pacyna, 1988) that cause an increase of its concentration in the water column and sediments. This increase has been detected in several points along the Galician coast (Prego and Cobelo-García, 2003 AbstractSixteen days after the Prestige tanker sank in the Northeast Atlantic (42º11′ N, 12º02′ W), a sampling campaign in the neighbouring water column was carried out in order to evaluate the posibility of zinc contamination due to the oil spill. Samples were taken in the water column (0-190 m) and in bottom waters -in the vicinity of the bow and stern-where the tanker lies (3520-3820 m). Total zinc concentrations found ranged from 14 to 571 nM, which are from one to two orders of magnitude higher than typical concentrations in these waters (0.2-3.2 nM). Therefore, a contamination by this metal, contained in the oil spilt from the tanks of the sunken ship, was detected. Zinc was also found to be a good tracer to detect the presence of fuel in those areas free of patches.Key words: zinc, oil spill, seawater, Northeast Atlantic Ocean. ResumenDieciséis días después del hundimiento del petrolero Prestige en el Atlántico Noreste (zona 42º11′ N, 12º02′ W) se llevó a cabo una campaña de muestreo en la columna de agua adyacente para evaluar la posible contaminación de zinc debido al fuel derramado al agua. Para ello se tomaron muestras en la columna de agua (0-190 m) y en el fondo marino -en las proximidades de la proa y popa-donde yace el petrolero (3530-3820 m). Las concentraciones totales de zinc obtenidas oscilaron entre 14 y 571 nM, esto es, de uno a dos órdenes de magnitud superiores a las normales en esas aguas (0.2-3.2 nM). Se detecta, pues, una contaminación por este metal contenido en el fuel vertido procedente de los tanques del buque hundido. El zinc resulta, además, un buen trazador para detectar la presencia de fuel en zonas limpias de man...

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Section: Methodsunclassified

“…The presence of metals (including zinc) in the oil spilt off the coast of Kuwait during the Gulf War has been indicted as one of the major causes of the coastal contamination (Bu-Olayan et al, 1998). The unrefined oil transported by the Prestige tanker contains, based on emulsion analysis, approximately 1 ppm of zinc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zinc concentrations in the water column influenced by the oil spill in the vicinity of the Prestige shipwreck

Prego¹,

Cobelo-Garcı́a²

2003

Cienc. Mar.

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“…Several studies have compared Hg contamination prior to and after the 1991 Gulf War (listed in de Mora et al, 2004) on marine biota and coastal sediment. To assess the environmental consequence of the massive oil spill at the Northern shelf of the Gulf during the Iraqi invasion to Kuwait (Bu-Olayan et al, 1998), the concentrations of trace metals in seawater and particulate matter, as well as origins of potential contaminants and the quality of local seafood with respect to metal contamination, were investigated by de Mora et al (2004) in the following years. The influence of fish sex and body length on the metal accumulation of those metals in the tested fish organs (liver, skin, and muscle) was critically investigated by Al-Yousuf et al (2000) as an environmental indicator in water areas affected by human activities and as a monitoring technique for assessing the efficiency of control measures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury accumulation in Lethrinus nebulosus from the marine waters of the Qatar EEZ

Al-Ansari

Abdel-Moati

Yiğiterhan

et al. 2017

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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Total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were recorded in the commercial demersal fish Lethrinus nebulosus, caught from six locations in Qatar EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). Concentrations of THg decreased in the order: liver ˃ muscle ˃ gonad. THg concentrations in fish tissue ranged from 0.016 ppm in gonad to 0.855 ppm (mg kg−1 w/w) in liver tissues, while concentrations in muscle tissue ranged from 0.24 to 0.49 ppm (mg kg−1 w/w) among sampling sites. MeHg concentrations were used to validate food web transfer rate calculations. Intake rates were calculated to assess the potential health impact of the fish consumption. There is no major threat to human health from the presence of Hg in L. nebulosus, based upon reasonable consumption patterns, limited to no more than three meals of L. nebulosus per week.

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“…Prego and Cobelo-Garcia (2004) and SantosEcheandia et al (2005) reported contamination from Pb to Cu in the Galician water column near the point of the ''Prestige'' shipwreck. Other scientists studied heavy metal contamination due to benzene or oil spills (Mirlean et al 2001;Lin and Hu 2007;Bu-Olayan et al 1998). Jones (2007) revealed contamination by Cu and Zn in sediments near the ''Norwegian Crown'' wreck, mainly attributed to the wearing of the antifouling (AF) paints.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The “Sea Diamond” shipwreck: environmental impact assessment in the water column and sediments of the wreck area

Dimitrakakis

Hahladakis

Gidarakos

2013

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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In the ''Sea Diamond'' shipwreck, it is estimated that almost 1.7 tons of batteries/accumulators and approximately 150 cathode ray tube technology televisions have gone to the bottom of the sea. Under these circumstances, all the aforementioned materials will eventually undergo severe accelerated corrosion. Consequently, a variety of heavy metals will either be released in seawater or precipitate in the form of salts resulting in contamination of the sea sediments. According to the ship data, and the aforementioned quantities of batteries and televisions, it is estimated that approximately 75-80 g of mercury, 630-1,050 g of cadmium and 1.14-1.26 tons of lead exist in the wreck only due to the electrical and electronic equipment present in the ship, not to mention the significant amount of heavy metals such as copper, nickel, ferrous and chromium that exist in the hulk. Four series of seawater sampling (n = 85) were conducted in different stations surrounding the wreck area in order to assess the overall impact from the release of heavy metals in the surrounding aquatic environment. The analysis indicated that there were stations where lead, zinc and cadmium were present in concentrations higher than the permissible limits set by the Unites States Environmental Protection Agency for seawater. Furthermore, the analysis of three series of sediment sampling (n = 31) from the wreck area showed elevated but expected concentration values for ferrous and manganese, considering the geological background of the area and contamination with lead, copper and cadmium.

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Effects of the Gulf War oil spill in relation to trace metals in water, particulate matter, and PAHs from the Kuwait coast

Cited by 33 publications

References 22 publications

Zinc concentrations in the water column influenced by the oil spill in the vicinity of the Prestige shipwreck

Zinc concentrations in the water column influenced by the oil spill in the vicinity of the Prestige shipwreck

Mercury accumulation in Lethrinus nebulosus from the marine waters of the Qatar EEZ

The “Sea Diamond” shipwreck: environmental impact assessment in the water column and sediments of the wreck area

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