Stranded Oil in Coastal Sediments

📖 The Scoop

Physical/sedimentological parameters determining the retention and penetration oil slicks in fine sediments were examined experimentally in natural and reconstituted cores, set up in a simulated tidal system. Thirty-five natural cores (1m long, 6.7 cm inside diameter) were collected from a tidal flat (Patricia Bay, Vancouver Island, mean grain size 153 micron, permeability 0.435 cm/min. Also 14 reconstituted cores were prepared from mixtures of Patricia Bay and Island View Beach sediments, with fine clay added, to yield a wider range of grain size (132-287 microns), mud content (0-4.7%), and permeability (0.0035-0.435 cm/min). Known amounts of an experimentally weathered heavy oil (Alberta Sweet Mixed Blend) were layered onto the water columns over the sediment cores, and during the simulated ebb period were brought into contact with the core surfaces. Quantitative and qualitative measurements were made on gross oil fate, on permeation of oil into core sediments, and on biodegradation by a combination of infared-spectroscopy and gas-chromatography. Also investigated were the influence of sediment grain size, percentage mud content, and time of tidal submersion.

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