Multi-media monitoring of oil contamination- Four years after the Hebei Spirit Oil Spill

Abstract

An estimated 12,547 kilo liters (10,900 M/T) of crude oil was spilled in December 2007 after the collision between the oil tanker Hebei Spirit and a barge carrying a crane. More than 375 km of western coastline of Korea were impacted by the spill, threatening the health of natural marine ecosystem and various mariculture activities. The contamination levels and temporal variations of oil contaminations were investigated monthly or seasonal based for four years since the oil spill. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and/or total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in seawater, sediment, pore water and marine organisms were analyzed and their environmental risks were also evaluated. Immediately after the spill, the direct impact of the Hebei Spirit oil spill was clearly recognized at most sites surveyed. The oil component (PAHs or TPH) concentrations in seawater and marine biota were orders of magnitude higher than those detected at reference sites. The distribution of oil contamination showed considerable variability depending on the proximity to the spill location. Thereafter the oil contamination in the media have decreased gradually for four years to background levels with varying degrees of half-lives depending on the matrices. However the clear impact of the oil spill was still observed at several sites as of January 2012, which was about four years after the Hebei Spirit Oil Spill incid the spill, threatening the health of natural marine ecosystem and various mariculture activities. The contamination levels and temporal variations of oil contaminations were investigated monthly or seasonal based for four years since the oil spill. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and/or total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in seawater, sediment, pore water and marine organisms were analyzed and their environmental risks were also evaluated. Immediately after the spill, the direct impact of the Hebei Spirit oil spill was clearly recognized at most sites surveyed. The oil com