Molecular-level evidence provided by ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry for oil-derived doc in groundwater at Bemidji, Minnesota

Behavior and toxicological impact of spilled diluted bitumen and conventional heavy crude oil in the unsaturated zone

Demand for unconventional crude oils continues to drive the production of diluted bitumen (dilbit) within Western Canada, promoting increased transport volumes across the extensive 700,000 km pipeline system of Canada and the USA. Despite this vast extent of terrestrial transport, the current understanding of the behavior and fate of spilled dilbit within shallow groundwater systems is limited. To this end, oil spill experiments with a dilbit (Cold Lake Blend) and a physicochemically similar conventional heavy crude oil (Conventional Heavy Blend) were conducted for 104 days in large soil columns (1 m height × 0.6 m diameter) engineered to model contaminant transport in the unsaturated (vadose) zone. Around two-fold greater concentrations and 6-41 % faster rates of vadose zone transport of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) were observed in the dilbit- compared to conventional heavy crude-contaminated columns. As determined by Orbitrap mass spectrometry, the OxSx species abundances in the acid extractable organics (AEOs) fraction of column leachate from both oil types increased over time, ostensibly due to microbial degradation of petroleum. Bioaccumulation of petroleum constituents in fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) larvae exposed to contaminated leachate was confirmed through the induction of developmental malformations lasting up to 34 days and increased abundance of cyp1a mRNA observed throughout the experiment. Toxicity was comparable between the two oils but could not be fully attributed to metals, BTEX, PACs or AEOs, implying the presence of uncharacterized teratogens capable of being transported within the vadose zone following terrestrial dilbit and conventional heavy crude oil surface spills.

The formation, reactivity, and fate of oxygen-containing organic compounds in petroleum-contaminated groundwaters: A state of the science review and future research directions

Hydrocarbon (HC) contamination in groundwater (GW) is a widespread environmental issue. Dissolved hydrocarbons in water are commonly utilized as an energy source by natural microbial communities, which can produce water soluble intermediate metabolite compounds, herein referred to as oxygen containing organic compounds (OCOCs), before achieving complete mineralization. This review aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the literature focused on the state of the science for OCOCs detected and measured in GW samples collected from petroleum contaminated aquifers. In this review, we discuss and evaluate two hypotheses investigating OCOC formation, which are major points of contention in the freshwater oil spill community that need to be addressed. We reviewed over 150 articles compiling studies investigating OCOC formation and persistence to uncover knowledge gaps in the literature and studies that recommend quantitative and qualitative measurements of OCOCs in petroleum-contaminated aquifers. This review is essential because no consensus exists regarding specific compounds and related concerns. We highlight the knowledge gaps to progressing the discussion of hydrocarbon conversion products.

Organic matter degradation and arsenic enrichment in different floodplain aquifer systems along the middle reaches of Yangtze River: A thermodynamic analysis

Geogenic arsenic (As) contaminated groundwater has been widely accepted associating with dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aquifers, but the underlying enrichment mechanism at molecular-level from a thermodynamic perspective is poorly evidenced. To fill this gap, we contrasted the optical properties and molecular compositions of DOM coupled with hydrochemical and isotopic data in two floodplain aquifer systems with significant As variations along the middle reaches of Yangtze River. Optical properties of DOM indicate that groundwater As concentration is mainly associated with terrestrial humic-like components rather than protein-like components. Molecular signatures show that high As groundwater has lower H/C ratios, but greater DBE, AI_mod, and NOSC values. With the increase of groundwater As concentration, the relative abundance of CHON3 formulas gradually decreased while that of CHON2 and CHON1 increased, indicating the importance of N-containing organics in As mobility, which is also evidenced by nitrogen isotope and groundwater chemistry. Thermodynamic calculation demonstrated that organic matter with higher NOSC values preferentially favored the reductive dissolution of As-bearing Fe(III) (hydro)oxides minerals and thus promoted As mobility. These findings could provide new insights to decipher organic matter bioavailability in As mobilization from a thermodynamical perspective and are applicable to similar geogenic As-affected floodplain aquifer systems.

Natural Asphalt Seeps Are Potential Sources for Recalcitrant Oceanic Dissolved Organic Sulfur and Dissolved Black Carbon

Natural oil seepages contribute about one-half of the annual petroleum input to marine systems. Yet, environmental implications and the persistence of water-soluble hydrocarbons from these seeps are vastly unknown. We investigated the release of oil-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) from natural deep sea asphalt seeps using laboratory incubation experiments. Fresh asphalt samples collected at the Chapopote asphalt volcano in the Southern Gulf of Mexico were incubated aerobically in artificial seawater over 4 weeks. The compositional changes in the water-soluble fraction of asphalt-derived DOM were determined with ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry (Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, FT-ICR-MS) and by excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy to characterize fluorescent DOM (FDOM) applying parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. Highly reduced aliphatic asphalt-derived DOM was readily biodegraded, while aromatic and sulfur-enriched DOM appeared to be less bioavailable and accumulated in the aqueous phase. A quantitative molecular tracer approach revealed the abundance of highly condensed aromatic molecules of thermogenic origin. Our results indicate that natural asphalt and potentially other petroleum seepages can be sources of recalcitrant dissolved organic sulfur and dissolved black carbon to the ocean.

A Framework for Utilizing High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Nontargeted Analysis in Rapid Response and Emergency Situations

Unknown chemical releases constitute a large portion of the rapid response situations to which the US Environmental Protection Agency is called on to respond. Workflows used to address unknown chemical releases currently involve screening for a large array of known compounds using many different targeted methods. When matches are not found, expert analytical chemistry knowledge is used to propose possible candidates from the available data, which generally includes low-resolution mass spectra and situational clues such as the location of the release, nearby industrial operations, and other field-reported facts. The past decade has witnessed dramatic improvements in capabilities for identifying unknown compounds using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and nontargeted analysis (NTA) approaches. Complementary developments in cheminformatics tools have further enabled an increase in NTA throughput and identification confidence. Together with the expanding availability of HRMS instrumentation in monitoring laboratories, these advancements make NTA highly relevant to rapid response scenarios. In this article, we introduce the concept of NTA as it relates to rapid response needs and describe how it can be applied to address unknown chemical releases. We advocate for the consideration of HRMS-based NTA approaches to support future rapid response scenarios. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1117-1130. Published 2021. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Orbitrap ESI-MS evaluation of solvent extractable organics from a crude oil release site

The concentrations of oxygen-containing organic compounds (OCOC), measured as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), in groundwater exceeds those of dissolved hydrocarbons, measured as total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), at a crude oil release site. Orbitrap mass spectrometry was used to characterize OCOC in samples of the oil, water from upgradient of the release, source area, and downgradient wells, and a local lake. Chemical characterization factors included carbon number, oxygen number, formulae similarity, double bond equivalents (DBE) and radiocarbon dating. Oil samples were dominated by formulae with less than 30 carbons, four or fewer oxygens, and a DBE of less than four. In water samples, formulae were identified with more than 30 carbons, more than 10 oxygens, and a DBE exceeding 30. These characteristics are consistent with DOC found in unimpacted water. Between 65% and 92% of the formulae found in samples collected within the elevated OCOC plume were also found in the upgradient or surface water samples. Evidence suggests that many of the OCOC are not petroleum degradation intermediates, but microbial products generated as a result of de novo synthesis by organisms growing on carbon supplied by the oil. Implications of these results for understanding the fate and managing the risk of hydrocarbons in the subsurface are discussed.

Unraveling roles of dissolved organic matter in high arsenic groundwater based on molecular and optical signatures

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a crucial controlling factor in mobilizing arsenic. However, direct delineations of DOM regarding both optical properties and molecular signatures were rarely conducted in high-arsenic groundwater. Here, both groundwater and surface water were taken from the Hetao Basin, China, to decipher DOM properties with both optical spectrophotometer and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The tryptophan-like component (C4) was averagely less than 30% in groundwater DOM, being positively associated with high H/C-ratio molecules (H/C > 1.2) and mainly grouped as highly unsaturated and phenolic compounds and aliphatic compounds. Other three humic-like components (C1, C2, C3) had positive associations with low H/C-ratio molecules (H/C < 1.2), which mainly consisted of highly unsaturated and phenolic compounds, polyphenols, and polycyclic aromatics. Groundwater arsenic concentrations were positively correlated with humic-like, low H/C-ratio, and recalcitrant organic compounds, which may be the consequence of labile organic matter degradation. The degradation caused Fe(III) oxide reduction and mobilized the solid arsenic. In addition, high abundances of these recalcitrant organic compounds in high-arsenic groundwater may contribute to arsenic enrichment via electron shuttling, competition for surface sites, and complexation process. It suggested that groundwater proxies would be either the result or the cause of biogeochemical processes in aquifers.

Hydrocarbons to carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules: A continuum model to describe biodegradation of petroleum-derived dissolved organic matter in contaminated groundwater plumes

Relationships between dissolved organic matter (DOM) reactivity and chemical composition in a groundwater plume containing petroleum-derived DOM (DOM_HC) were examined by quantitative and qualitative measurements to determine the source and chemical composition of the compounds that persist downgradient. Samples were collected from a transect down the core of the plume in the direction of groundwater flow. An exponential decrease in dissolved organic carbon concentration resulting from biodegradation along the transect correlated with a continuous shift in fluorescent DOM_HC from shorter to longer wavelengths. Moreover, ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry showed a shift from low molecular weight (MW) aliphatic, reduced compounds to high MW, unsaturated (alicyclic/aromatic), high oxygen compounds that are consistent with carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules. The degree of condensed aromaticity increased downgradient, indicating that compounds with larger, conjugated aromatic core structures were less susceptible to biodegradation. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed a decrease in alkyl (particularly methyl) and an increase in aromatic/olefinic structural motifs. Collectively, data obtained from the combination of these complementary analytical techniques indicated that changes in the DOM_HC composition of a groundwater plume are gradual, as relatively low molecular weight (MW), reduced, aliphatic compounds from the oil source were selectively degraded and high MW, alicyclic/aromatic, oxidized compounds persisted.

Biological Effects of Hydrocarbon Degradation Intermediates: Is the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Analytical Method Adequate for Risk Assessment?

In crude oil contaminant plumes, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is mainly hydrocarbon degradation intermediates only partly quantified by the diesel range total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPHd) method. To understand potential biological effects of degradation intermediates, we tested three fractions of DOC: (1) solid-phase extract (HLB); (2) dichloromethane (DCM-total) extract used in TPHd; and (3) DCM extract with hydrocarbons isolated by silica gel cleanup (DCM-SGC). Bioactivity of extracts from five wells spanning a range of DOC was tested using an in vitro multiplex reporter system that evaluates modulation of the activity of 46 transcription factors; extracts were evaluated at concentrations equivalent to the well water samples. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and pregnane X receptor (PXR) transcription factors showed the greatest upregulation, with HLB exceeding DCM-total, and no upregulation in the hydrocarbon fraction (DCM-SGC). The HLB extracts were further studied with HepG2 chemically activated luciferase expression (CALUX) in vitro assays at nine concentrations ranging from 40 to 0.01 times the well water concentrations. Responses decreased with distance from the source but were still present at two wells without detectable hydrocarbons. Thus, our in vitro assay results indicate that risks associated with degradation intermediates of hydrocarbons in groundwater will be underestimated when protocols that remove these chemicals are employed.

Towards comprehensive analysis of oxygen containing organic compounds in groundwater at a crude oil spill site using GC×GC-TOFMS and Orbitrap ESI-MS

In this study, both GC × GC-TOFMS and Orbitrap ESI-MS were used to characterize the oxygen containing organic compounds, OCOCs, present in groundwater at a site where a crude oil pipeline ruptured decades ago. This is the only side-by-side comparison of results from these two methods analyzed by the same laboratory. GC × GC-TOFMS analysis shows OCOCs identified at the crude oil-release site are consistent with, and structurally similar to, those identified at previously studied fuel release sites. Molecular structures close to the release point differ from those found downgradient, becoming less complex and with different compound classes dominating. As with the GC × GC-TOFMS, the Orbitrap revealed that the composition of OCOCs present in groundwater close to the source area was distinctly different from that seen downgradient; however, the chemical structures increased significantly in size and complexity from wells near the source to the farthest downgradient well. Investigation into this finding suggests that the presence and structures of these non-GC-able OCOCs are consistent with organic matter resulting from biosynthesis or other processes found in natural water systems and are unlikely to be intermediates (metabolites) along petroleum biodegradation pathways.

UPLC Orbitrap MS/MS-based fingerprints of dissolved organic matter in waste leachate driven by waste age

Waste leachate is a pool of complicated metabolites from waste treatment and disposal as a global environmental problem. The recognition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in leachate is crucial to improve leachate treatment efficiency and comprehend waste stabilization process. The present study acquired the molecular information for DOM in 22 waste leachate samples using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC Orbitrap MS/MS) based on two dimensions of retention time and mass-to-charge ratio. Unique mass peaks occupied more than 20% of the detected mass peaks in each leachate, implying that the molecular information for DOM could be the fingerprint of waste landfills and storage pits. Waste age and composition predominately accounted for this unique DOM. The double-bond equivalent increased and the H/C decreased with waste age. We further found that 57 precursor ion peaks and artificial matter (confirmed as N-butylbenzenesulfonamide) were significantly correlated with waste age by multiple test and non-target screening. These molecular characteristics of raw leachate were first determined to compensate for the evolution of leachate with waste age. The fingerprints of waste leachate can be further applied in environmental monitoring scenarios, e.g., tracing landfill leakage.

Molecular level determination of water accommodated fraction with embryonic developmental toxicity generated by photooxidation of spilled oil

In this study, developmental toxicity was increased as the oil was further degraded under natural sunlight. Detailed chemical composition of the degraded oils was examined by use of gas chromatography (GC) and (-) electrospray ionization ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (UHR-MS). Baseline toxicities were estimated based on chemical activities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and it was obvious that the predicted chemical activities can not explain increased toxicity alone. However, the ultrahigh resolution mass spectral abundance of polar compounds including O₃ and O₄ class compounds was significantly increased as the photodegradation proceeded. Further examination of double bond equivalence values of the compounds showed that polar compounds with both non-aromatic and aromatic polar structures were increased. Statistical analysis indicates that the increased toxicity can be well explained by the increased polar compounds. Therefore, the oxygenated compounds identified in this study can play an important role in toxicity of degraded oils.

Application of molecular dynamics simulation to improve the theoretical prediction for collisional cross section of aromatic compounds with long alkyl chains in crude oils

RATIONALE

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with finite temperature were performed to improve the theoretical prediction of collisional cross section (CCS) values, especially for aromatic compounds containing long alkyl chains.

METHODS

In this study, the CCS values of 11 aromatic compounds with long alkyl chains were calculated by MD simulations while considering internal energy at 300, 500, and 700 K, and the results were compared with experimentally determined values.

RESULTS

The CCS values calculated at higher energies showed better agreement with the experimental values. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as pentacene and benz[b]anthracene were also investigated, and better agreement between the theoretical and experimental results was observed when higher temperature (or higher internal energy) was considered.

CONCLUSIONS

The data presented in this study show that the internal degrees of freedom of ions must be considered to accurately predict the CCS values of aromatic compounds with a flexible structure measured by ion mobility mass spectrometry.

Toxicity Assessment of Groundwater Contaminated by Petroleum Hydrocarbons at a Well-Characterized, Aged, Crude Oil Release Site

Management of petroleum-impacted waters by monitored natural attenuation requires an understanding of the toxicology of both the original compounds released and the transformation products formed during natural breakdown. Here, we report data from a groundwater plume consisting of a mixture of crude oil compounds and transformation products in an effort to bridge the gap between groundwater quality information and potential biological effects of human exposures. Groundwater samples were characterized for redox processes, concentrations of nonvolatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC) and total petroleum hydrocarbons in the diesel range, as well as for activation of human nuclear receptors (hNR) and toxicologically relevant transcriptional pathways. Results show upregulation of several biological pathways, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and alpha, estrogen receptor alpha, and pregnane X receptor (PXR) with higher levels of hNR activity observed in more contaminated samples. Our study of affected groundwater contaminated by a crude-oil release 39 years ago shows these types of waters may have the potential to cause adverse impacts on development, endocrine, and liver functioning in exposed populations. Additionally, positive trends in activation of some of the molecular targets (e.g., PXR) with increasing NVDOC concentrations (including polar transformation products) demonstrate the importance of improving our understanding of the toxicity associated with the unknown transformation products present in hydrocarbon-impacted waters. Our results begin to provide insight into the potential toxicity of petroleum-impacted waters, which is particularly timely given the ubiquitous nature of waters impacted by petroleum contamination not only recently but also in the past and the need to protect drinking-water quality.

Estimating degree of degradation of spilled oils based on relative abundance of aromatic compounds observed by paper spray ionization mass spectrometry

Paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PSI-MS) was applied for the first time to study temporal change of photo-oxidized and weathered oils subjected to degradation. PSI is chosen in this study because it is an optimal ionization technique for the analysis of degraded oils with limited sample quantity and prone to salt and particulate contamination. With PSI-MS, quantitative analysis of oils can be successfully performed with as little as 2 μg of oil sample. In addition, oil solutions containing up to 0.05% sodium chloride were successfully analyzed with PSI-MS. In the PSI-MS spectra of photo-degraded oils, the relative abundance of compounds having double equivalence value (DBE) ≥ 5 increased but those with DBE < 5 decreased in number. The summed abundance ratio of compounds having DBE < 5 and DBE ≥ 5 showed a negative exponential correlation with the duration of UV exposure in laboratory experiments. The same trend was observed from spilled oils obtained from the environment. Therefore, this ratio serves as an effective means to estimate the degree of weathering in spilled oils.

Examining Natural Attenuation and Acute Toxicity of Petroleum-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter with Optical Spectroscopy

Groundwater samples containing petroleum-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM_HC) originating from the north oil body within the National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site near Bemidji, MN, USA were analyzed by optical spectroscopic techniques (i.e., absorbance and fluorescence) to assess relationships that can be used to examine natural attenuation and toxicity of DOM_HC in contaminated groundwater. A strong correlation between the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and absorbance at 254 nm ( a₂₅₄) along a transect of the DOM_HC plume indicates that a₂₅₄ can be used to quantitatively assess natural attenuation of DOM_HC. Fluorescence components, identified by parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis, show that the composition of the DOM_HC beneath and adjacent to the oil body is dominated by aliphatic, low O/C compounds ("protein-like" fluorescence) and that the composition gradually evolves to aromatic, high O/C compounds ("humic-/fulvic-like" fluorescence) as a function of distance downgradient from the oil body. Finally, a direct, positive correlation between optical properties and Microtox acute toxicity assays demonstrates the utility of these combined techniques in assessing the spatial and temporal natural attenuation and toxicity of the DOM_HC in petroleum-impacted groundwater systems.

Human health risk constrained naphthalene-contaminated groundwater remediation management through an improved credibility method

In this study, a human health risk constrained groundwater remediation management program based on the improved credibility is developed for naphthalene contamination. The program integrates simulation, multivariate regression analysis, health risk assessment, uncertainty analysis, and nonlinear optimization into a general framework. The improved credibility-based optimization model for groundwater remediation management with consideration of human health risk (ICOM-HHR) is capable of not only effectively addressing parameter uncertainties and risk-exceeding possibility in human health risk but also providing a credibility level that indicates the satisfaction of the optimal groundwater remediation strategies with multiple contributions of possibility and necessity. The capabilities and effectiveness of ICOM-HHR are illustrated through a real-world case study in Anhui Province, China. Results indicate that the ICOM-HHR would generate double remediation cost yet reduce approximately 10 times of the naphthalene concentrations at monitoring wells, i.e., mostly less than 1 μg/L, which implies that the ICOM-HHR usually results in better environmental and health risk benefits. And it is acceptable to obtain a better environmental quality and a lower health risk level with sacrificing a certain economic benefit.