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THE NATURAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON BACKGROUND IN SUBTIDAL SEDIMENTS OF PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA, USA

1996; Wiley; Volume: 15; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1897/1551-5028(1996)015 2.3.co;2

1552-8618

David S. Page, Paul D. Boehm, Gregory S. Douglas, A. E. Bence, William A. Burns, Paul J. Mankiewicz,

Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics

Environmental Toxicology and ChemistryVolume 15, Issue 8 p. 1266-1281 ArticleFree Access The natural petroleum hydrocarbon background in subtidal sediments of prince william sound, Alaska, USA David S. Page, Corresponding Author David S. Page Chemistry Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 04011, USAChemistry Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 04011, USASearch for more papers by this authorPaul D. Boehm, Paul D. Boehm Arthur D. Little, Inc., Acorn Park, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140–2390, USASearch for more papers by this authorGregory S. Douglas, Gregory S. Douglas Arthur D. Little, Inc., Acorn Park, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140–2390, USASearch for more papers by this authorA. Edward Bence, A. Edward Bence Exxon Production Research Company, P.O. Box 2189, Houston, Texas 77252–2189, USASearch for more papers by this authorWilliam A. Burns, William A. Burns Exxon Production Research Company, P.O. Box 2189, Houston, Texas 77252–2189, USASearch for more papers by this authorPaul J. Mankiewicz, Paul J. Mankiewicz Exxon Production Research Company, P.O. Box 2189, Houston, Texas 77252–2189, USASearch for more papers by this author David S. Page, Corresponding Author David S. Page Chemistry Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 04011, USAChemistry Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 04011, USASearch for more papers by this authorPaul D. Boehm, Paul D. Boehm Arthur D. Little, Inc., Acorn Park, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140–2390, USASearch for more papers by this authorGregory S. Douglas, Gregory S. Douglas Arthur D. Little, Inc., Acorn Park, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140–2390, USASearch for more papers by this authorA. Edward Bence, A. Edward Bence Exxon Production Research Company, P.O. Box 2189, Houston, Texas 77252–2189, USASearch for more papers by this authorWilliam A. Burns, William A. Burns Exxon Production Research Company, P.O. Box 2189, Houston, Texas 77252–2189, USASearch for more papers by this authorPaul J. Mankiewicz, Paul J. Mankiewicz Exxon Production Research Company, P.O. Box 2189, Houston, Texas 77252–2189, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: August 1996 https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620150804Citations: 92AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract A natural regional petroleum hydrocarbon background has been identified in the subtidal sediments of Prince William Sound that is readily distinguished from Exxon Valdez spill oil by chemical fingerprinting methods. This hydrocarbon background is derived from natural petroleum seeps in the eastern Gulf of Alaska. The Alaska Coastal Current carries fine-grained sediments and associated hydrocarbons from seep areas to the east into Prince William Sound, where they are deposited on the seafloor. The analysis of age-dated sediment cores indicates that this process has been going on for the past 160 years, and probably for many thousands of years. In addition, results of a stratified random study of nearshore subtidal sediments conducted in 1990 show that this is a general phenomenon throughout the sound and is significant even in shallow water (3 to 30 m). For example, oleanane, a saturate petroleum biomarker found in Prince William Sound prespill background petroleum and seep sources but not in Exxon Valdez petroleum, is present in subtidal sediment samples from locations throughout the sound. This supports the conclusion that seep areas to the east are major sediment sources for the sound. Moreover, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixing model calculations show that, although Exxon Valdez spill-oil residues are present in nearshore subtidal sediments, they generally form a small increment on the natural background. The recognition of preexisting natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbon sources in a spill area is a fundamentally important component of any natural resource damage assessment. References 1 Rice, S.D., B.A. Wright, J.W. Short and C.E. O'Clair. 1993. Subtidal oil contamination and biological impacts. Abstracts, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Symposium, Anchorage, AK, USA, February 2–5, pp. 23– 26. 2 Page, D.S., P.D. Boehm, G.S. 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