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Dong R, Wan Z, Wang X, Bai Y, Bao M, Li H. The Role of Bacteria in the Formation and Migration of Oil-Particle Aggregates (OPAs) after Marine Oil Spills and the Associated Mechanism. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:7018-7028. [PMID: 37083415 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Oil spills interact with mineral particles to form oil-particle aggregates (OPAs), which promotes the oil's natural diffusion and biodegradation. We investigated the effect of bacteria on the formation and vertical migration of OPAs under different concentrations and types of particles and proposed and elucidated an oil-particle-bacteria coupling mechanism. The depth of particle penetration into oil droplets (13-17 μm) was more than twice that of the nonbacterial group. Oil that remained in the water column and deposited to the bottom decreased from 87% to 49% and increased from 14% to 15% at high/low concentration, respectively. Interestingly, the median droplet diameter showed a negative correlation (R2 = 0.83) and positive correlation (R2 = 0.60) at high/low concentration, respectively, with the relative penetration depth first proposed. We further demonstrated that bacteria increased the penetrating depth by a combination of reducing/increasing the interfacial tension, reducing the oil amount (C17-C38) in the OPAs, and increasing the particle width. These effects reduced the droplet size and ultimately changed the vertical migration of OPAs. Finally, we provided a simple assessment of the vertical distribution of OPAs in nearshore environments based on experimental data and suggested that the role of bacteria in increasing the depth of particles penetrating into the oil droplets should not be ignored. These findings will broaden the research perspective of marine oil spill migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranran Dong
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, People's Republic of China
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhifeng Wan
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University/Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinping Wang
- North China Sea Environmental Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao 266033, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Bai
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Mutai Bao
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, People's Republic of China
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, People's Republic of China
| | - Haoshuai Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, People's Republic of China
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, People's Republic of China
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Fahmi Alali A, Wang S, Zhu Z, Atkinson J. Formation of oil-particle aggregates with motor oil and kaolinite clay in cold and warm freshwater. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2023; 25:566-576. [PMID: 36727406 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00364c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Motor oil is one of the most common pollutants in stormwater runoff in freshwater ecosystems. It can form aggregates with solids (creating oil particle aggregates, OPAs) which complicates the understanding of the fate and transport of motor oil, particularly in cold freshwater, conditions that have not been studied extensively. Laboratory and numerical experiments were conducted with kaolinite clay and three types of motor oil in both cold and warm freshwater, in which: (1) the interaction of clay particles with motor oil was experimentally investigated, in response to changes in oil viscosity, water temperature, and mixing intensity; (2) variability in particle size distribution of the formed OPAs was measured; and (3) a mechanistic OPA formation model was applied and results were compared with experimental data. The results showed that kaolinite clay and motor oil formed mostly droplet-type OPAs, lower-viscosity oil tended to form a wider size range of OPAs, and higher mixing intensity and higher water temperature produced larger numbers of smaller OPAs. Although there was a reasonably good match between the experimental data and the modeling results, more research is needed to further improve the modeling framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulrhman Fahmi Alali
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
- Department of Civil Engineering, King Saud University, P. O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shu Wang
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
- School of Civil and Resource Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Zhenduo Zhu
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Joseph Atkinson
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
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Ji W, Abou-Khalil C, Parameswarappa Jayalakshmamma M, Boufadel M, Lee K. Post-Formation of Oil Particle Aggregates: Breakup and Biodegradation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:2341-2350. [PMID: 36723450 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Spilled oil slicks are likely to break into droplets in the subtidal and intertidal zones of seashores due to wave energy. The nonliving suspended fine particles in coastal ecosystems can interact with the dispersed oil droplets, resulting in the formation of Oil Particle Aggregates (OPAs). Many investigations assumed that these aggregates will settle due to the particles' high density. Recent studies, however, reported that some particles penetrate the oil droplets, which results in further breakup while forming smaller OPAs that remain suspended in the water column. Here, we investigated the interaction of crude oil droplets with intertidal and subtidal sediments, as well as artificial pure kaolinite, in natural seawater. Results showed that the interaction between oil droplets and intertidal sediments was not particularly stable, with an Oil Trapping Efficiency (OTE) < 25%. When using subtidal sediments, OTE reached 56%. With artificial kaolinite, OPA formation and breakup were more significant (OTE reaching up to 67%) and occurred faster (within 12 h). Oil chemistry analysis showed that the biodegradation of oil in seawater (half-life of 485 h) was significantly enhanced with the addition of sediments, with half-lives of 305, 265, and 150 h when adding intertidal sediments, subtidal sediments, and pure kaolinite, respectively. Such results reveal how the sediments' shape and size affect the various oil-sediment interaction mechanisms, and the subsequent impact on the microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Future studies should consider investigating the application of fine (several microns) and sharp (elongated-sheeted) sediments as a nondestructive and nontoxic technique for dispersing marine oil spills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Ji
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 323 MLK Blvd., Newark, New Jersey07102, United States
| | - Charbel Abou-Khalil
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 323 MLK Blvd., Newark, New Jersey07102, United States
| | - Meghana Parameswarappa Jayalakshmamma
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 323 MLK Blvd., Newark, New Jersey07102, United States
| | - Michel Boufadel
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 323 MLK Blvd., Newark, New Jersey07102, United States
| | - Kenneth Lee
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Dartmouth, NSB2Y 4A2, Canada
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Boufadel MC, Özgökmen T, Socolofsky SA, Kourafalou VH, Liu R, Lee K. Oil Transport Following the Deepwater Horizon Blowout. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2023; 15:67-93. [PMID: 35773215 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-040821-104411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was the largest in US history, covering more than 1,000 km of shorelines and causing losses that exceeded $50 billion. While oil transformation processes are understood at the laboratory scale, the extent of the Deepwater Horizon spill made it challenging to integrate these processes in the field. This review tracks the Deepwater Horizon oil during its journey from the Mississippi Canyon block 252 (MC252) wellhead, first discussing the formation of the oil and gas plume and the ensuing oil droplet size distribution, then focusing on the behavior of the oil on the water surface with and without waves. It then reports on massive drifter experiments in the Gulf of Mexico and the impact of the Mississippi River on the oil transport. Finally, it concludes by addressing the formation of oil-particle aggregates. Although physical processes lend themselves to numerical modeling, we attempted to elucidate them without using advanced modeling, as our goal is to enhance communication among scientists, engineers, and other entities interested in oil spills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel C Boufadel
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA;
| | - Tamay Özgökmen
- Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Scott A Socolofsky
- Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Vassiliki H Kourafalou
- Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Ruixue Liu
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA;
| | - Kenneth Lee
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Liu R, Boufadel MC, Zhao L, Nedwed T, Lee K, Marcotte G, Barker C. Oil droplet formation and vertical transport in the upper ocean. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 176:113451. [PMID: 35189534 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The dispersion of oil droplets near ocean surface is important for evaluating the impact to the environment. Under breaking wave conditions, the surface oil experiences mainly two processes: the generation of oil droplets at/near the water surface, and the transport of oil droplets due to ocean dynamics. We investigated the vertical behavior by incorporating the transport equation and the VDROP model. The transport equation adopted the ocean dynamics by K-profile parameterization (KPP) and the impact of additional turbulence by imposing the energy dissipation rate on the ocean surface. The oil droplet distribution was obtained, and the entrained distribution and entrainment rate was computed. The results shows that although the entrained distribution and the entrainment rate shares certain consistency with previous studies, divergences are also noticed. Accordingly, the model that describes the physics should be adopted to avoid incorrect qualification of the oil concentration dispersed in the ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixue Liu
- Center for Natural Resources, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Michel C Boufadel
- Center for Natural Resources, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
| | - Lin Zhao
- ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, Houston, TX 77389, USA
| | - Tim Nedwed
- ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, Houston, TX 77389, USA
| | - Kenneth Lee
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Dartmouth, Canada
| | - Guillaume Marcotte
- Canadian Centre for Meteorological and Environmental Prediction, National Operation Division, Environmental Emergencies Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Dorval, QC, Canada
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Qi Z, Sun R, Yu Y, Xiong D, Li W, Yu X, Fu S. Performance of dispersed oil and suspended sediment during the oil-sediment aggregation process. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 168:112455. [PMID: 34020408 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Oil-sediment aggregation is an important transport and transformation process of spilled oil, which has been considered as a pathway of spill remediation. This work focused on the individual performance of dispersed oil and sediment during the aggregation process. Dispersion of three oils was first tested and validated in a water tank. An approach of estimating the mass variation of the sediment that has participated in forming the oil-sediment aggregates (OSAs) has been developed by density analysis. Results indicated that the density of the formed OSAs increases during the aggregation. In the context of remediation, it takes longer for sediment to reach equilibrium than for dispersed oil, especially under high mixing energy at a large sediment concentration, which results in the formation of dense OSAs, as well as high aggregation degree and rate. Roncador oil possesses a relatively high capability of capturing sediment to form dense OSAs, especially at an initial sediment concentration of over 150 mg/L. Oil sinking efficiency and the characteristic change rate of aggregated oil mass seem to be proportional to oil dispersion efficiency, and decrease with the mean size of dispersed oil droplets. The process of aggregation can further promote the dispersion of oil into water column. This study also provides fundamental data for the formation kinetics of OSAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixin Qi
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
| | - Ruiyang Sun
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
| | - Yue Yu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China.
| | - Deqi Xiong
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China.
| | - Wenxin Li
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
| | - Xinping Yu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
| | - Sinan Fu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
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Ji W, Boufadel M, Zhao L, Robinson B, King T, Lee K. Formation of oil-particle aggregates: Particle penetration and impact of particle properties and particle-to-oil concentration ratios. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 760:144047. [PMID: 33341610 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Oil droplets in marine environment interact with particles to form oil particle aggregates (OPA), and alters the transport and fate of oil. We investigated the impact of particles properties on the formation of OPAs. It was found that the distribution of 9 μm spherical silica (sand) particles on the oil droplet was more uniform than the 3 μm silica particles, and it is likely due to the inertia of the larger particles causing them to lodge into the droplet. Also, the OPAs of the 3 μm silica particles were much smaller than those of the 9 μm particles. For kaolinite particles that are rod-like of length around 10 μm, it was found that increasing the hydrophobicity of the particles from a contact angle (CA) of ~ 29o to 38o, increases the penetration of the particles in the oil through a projectile penetration mechanism, whereby the particle possesses sufficient inertia to penetrate into the oil. However, a further increase in hydrophbocitiy (CA ~ 57o) caused the particles to agglomerate together and avoid the oil droplets. The oil droplets got smaller with time probably due to the penetration of the particles in them. For an oil concentration of 500 mg/L, a particle concentration of 100 mg/L was incapable of fragmenting the oil droplets, but particle concentration of 500 mg/L fragmented the droplets similarly to a concentration of 1500 mg/L. This is due to the larger coverage of the droplet surface area by the particles and the subsequent weakening of its structural rigidity through the reduction of the oil-water interfacial tension. The study shows that the fate (e.g., after 24 h) of OPAs greatly depends on the type of sediments where the oil spilled (sand versus clay) and their concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Ji
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 323 MLK Blvd., Newark, NJ 07102, United States of America
| | - Michel Boufadel
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 323 MLK Blvd., Newark, NJ 07102, United States of America.
| | - Lin Zhao
- ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, 22777 Springwoods Village Pkwy., Houston, TX 77389, United States of America
| | - Brian Robinson
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - Thomas King
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - Kenneth Lee
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
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