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Macondo‐1 well oil‐derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mesozooplankton from the northern Gulf of Mexico
Author(s) -
Mitra Siddhartha,
Kimmel David G.,
Snyder Jessica,
Scalise Kimberly,
McGlaughon Benjamin D.,
Roman Michael R.,
Jahn Ginger L.,
Pierson James J.,
Brandt Stephen B.,
Montoya Joseph P.,
Rosenbauer Robert J.,
Lorenson Thomas D.,
Wong Florence L.,
Campbell Pamela L.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2011gl049505
Subject(s) - fluoranthene , deepwater horizon , environmental science , pyrene , petroleum , oceanography , oil spill , environmental chemistry , contamination , ecology , geology , chemistry , environmental protection , biology , paleontology , organic chemistry
Mesozooplankton (>200 μ m) collected in August and September of 2010 from the northern Gulf of Mexico show evidence of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that distributions of PAHs extracted from mesozooplankton were related to the oil released from the ruptured British Petroleum Macondo‐1 (M‐1) well associated with the R/V Deepwater Horizon blowout. Mesozooplankton contained 0.03–97.9 ng g −1 of total PAHs and ratios of fluoranthene to fluoranthene + pyrene less than 0.44, indicating a liquid fossil fuel source. The distribution of PAHs isolated from mesozooplankton extracted in this study shows that the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill may have contributed to contamination in the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.