The State-of-the-Art Unraveling of the Biotic and Abiotic Chemical Evolution of Macondo Oil: 2010-2018
Implementing Organization
Florida State University
Overview
DWH Project Funding
$1,943,780
Known Leveraged Funding
$0
Funding Organization
Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI)
Funding Program
Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative GoMRI Grant Program
Details
Project Category
Science
Project Actions
Chemical Aspects Research
Targeted Resources
Human and/or Institutional Capacity
Project Description
Once released into the environment, petroleum undergoes physical processes that modify its native composition and chemical processes. Efforts documenting these weathering trends for Macondo well oil (MWO) from approximately 10 months post-spill to the present demonstrate that a pool of persistent oxidized petroleum-derived material increased with increasing weathering of MWO in the environment. However, not much is yet known about the molecular structure of the oxygenated transformation products, its environmental fate, or potential effects, as these oxidized products lie largely outside the conventional gas chromatography analytical window. This project will apply new techniques to understand how these weathering processes occur, quantify rate(s) of oxygenated oil weathering product formation and degradation, and characterize toxicological effects.
Contact
Ryan P. RodgersNone
rodgers@magnet.fsu.edu
Project Website
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