state-of-science of dispersant and dispersed oil kinne… · state-of-science of dispersant and...

Coastal Response Research Center

State-of-Science of Dispersant and Dispersed Oil

Nancy E. Kinner, UNH Director

Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC)

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April 6, 2016SCAA Annual Meeting


Overview of CRRC and CSE

• Conduct and Oversee Basic and Applied Research and Outreach on Spill Response and Restoration

• Transform Research Results into Practice

• Serve as Hub for Oil & Environmental Spill R&D (ALL Stakeholders: Federal, State, NGO, Academia, Industry)

• Facilitate Collaboration on R&D Among Stakeholders

• Includes Other Hazards Requiring Emergency Response

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(NOAA $)

Center for Spills & Environmental

Hazards(Non-NOAA $)


• Partnership between NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration and the University of New Hampshire

• Why UNH?• NH not energy production state

• UNH strong marine and environmental research

• Since 2004• UNH co-director – Nancy Kinner

• NOAA co-director – Mark Miller

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Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC)


“Recent” Dispersant Use

• Though chemical dispersants available for oil spills since mid-20th century, not commonly used in U.S.• Offshore (>3 nm; > 30 m water depth)

• 2005 – NAS Dispersants Report: “Efficacy and Effects”• Formation of CRRC’s Dispersant Working Group

• Prior to DWH, some resurgence in R&D on chemical dispersants

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DWH Dispersant Use

• Mechanical recovery and in situ burning not sufficient

• Surface application to keep oil from surface dwellers / nearshore / shoreline

• Well-head injections to disperse into deep subsea waters

• CRRC convened meeting of 50 scientists to consider dispersant use tradeoffs • All agreed – dispersant applications were

necessary

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Post-DWH

• Many chemical dispersant research initiatives• Natural Resource Damage Assessment

(NRDA) included millions of $ on dispersant impacts

• Much more data analysis possible & ongoing

• GOMRI – dispersant focus for much of its research

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Post-DWH

• NOAA, BSEE & USEPA – research initiatives on dispersants

• Industry JIPs – focus on chemical dispersant research

• NGOs focus on chemical dispersant use (e.g., Earth Justice, Ocean Conservancy, PWSRCAC)

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Important New Findings on Use of Dispersants for Oil Spill Response

• Nancy E. Kinner’s opinion• Marine Oil Snow Sedimentation and

Flocculent Accumulation (MOSSFA)

• Volatilization from surface

• Chronic impacts on biological ecosystems

• State-of-Science of Dispersants and Dispersed Oil in Arctic Waters

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MOS - MOSSFA

• Research by scientists in GOMRI C-Image, Ecogig, DROPPS Consortia etc.

• Marine Snow• Bacteria -> mucus

• Natural snow contains bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton, feces

• Marine Oil Snow (MOS)

• Marine Oil Snow Sedimentation and Flocculent Accumulation (MOSSFA)

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Marine Snow/MOS

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Causes of MOS

• Petrochemicals in water, cause more mucus-like production by microbes• Oil gets entrapped in snow formed

• As snow flocculates and settles through water column, it moves oil to seafloor

• Factors affecting MOS/MOSSFA include:• Suspended sediment load in water

• River sediment e.g., Mississippi River discharge

• Nutrients stimulating phytoplankton growth

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DWH MOSSFA Estimates

• Fate of ≤ 14% of total oil released• GOM bottom sediments

• GOMRI-funded sampling of DWH and Ixtoc-I impacted sediment = MOSSFA

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Coastal Response Research Center 13


MOS - MOSSFA

• Likely occurs with / without chemical dispersants

• Oil to seafloor• Impact of benthic ecosystems (?)

• Buried by natural sedimentation

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Surface Application of Chemical Dispersants to Oil Slick

• Research by Prof. Joseph Katz at Johns Hopkins University• GOMRI DROPPS Consortium

• Now with Colleagues from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

• Following slides are from Prof. Katz

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Entrainment of an Oil Slick by a Plunging BreakerWave characteristics

- h = 0.2m

- vmax=1.08m/s

- Maximum Wave Height: 22.63 cm

- Wave Celerity: 206.8 cm/s

Cam 1(right view):

- Location: x=155cm

- acquisition rate: 250fps

- FOV: 90.0 cm

Cam 2(left view):

- Location: x= 230 cm

- acquisition rate: 250fps

- FOV: 117.6 cm

Cam 2 Cam 1played @15fps

30% resolution

Measuring

Droplet Size

Distributions

Subsurface Droplets (Subsurface Droplets (Subsurface Droplets (Subsurface Droplets (DOR1:25DOR1:25DOR1:25DOR1:25))))FOV=2.23 mm x 2.23 mm

Aerosol droplets (Aerosol droplets (Aerosol droplets (Aerosol droplets (DOR1:25)DOR1:25)DOR1:25)DOR1:25)FOV=2.2 cm x 2.2 cm


Volatilization Importance

• Nanodroplets contain compounds with human health implications

• Johns Hopkins School of Public Health scientists now investigating this

• Current responder PPE not able to “protect against” inhalation of nanodroplets

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DWH NRDA

Long-Term Impacts from Exposure to Dispersants and Dispersed Oil


DWH Natural Resource Damage Assessment

• NRDA research included many studies of effects of dispersants and dispersed oil of organisms

• Effects: lethal and non-lethal

• Short-term and long-term

• More than #s of dead animals

• Sub-lethal, long-term effects on individuals and populations and ecosystems

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NOAA ORR NRDA Lead

• Dr. Lisa DiPinto lead scientist

• Massive amount of data collected and experiments conducted

• Reports available with settlement

• Scientific papers in pipeline

• Much more data analysis to be done!!!!

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State of Science Dispersants and Dispersed Oil

CRRC ProjectFall 2014 to Present


• Senior Federal agency leadership during Arctic SONS exercise identified need to better understand use of chemical dispersants in Arctic waters

• DWH spurred new dispersants and dispersed oil research

• Dispersants and Dispersed Oil = DDO

• CRRC assembled expert scientific panels

• Identify scientific knowns and uncertainties for DDO

• Not DDO operations

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History of Project


Project Leads

• NOAA ORR Leads: Doug Helton and Gary Shigenaka

• USEPA Leads: Vanessa Principe and Greg Wilson

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Scientific Process• CRRC compiled database (2008-present) of State of

Science on DDO• LUMCON database covers 1950s to June 2008

• 5 Panels of 50+ scientists have met continuously since January 2015 (~50 hours per panel)

• Statements of scientific knowns and uncertainties for each topic

• In some cases, panels had areas of disagreement, which are noted

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Dispersant Efficacy and Effectiveness• Environmental Factors that Impact Dispersant

Effectiveness

• Temperature, mixing energy

• Limitations to Understanding of Dispersant Effectiveness• General effectiveness

• Formulations

• Subsea application

• Detection and Monitoring of Effectiveness in Field

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Physical Transport and Chemical Behavior

• Arctic Physical Oceanography• General Statements

• Sea Ice and Mixing

• Storms

• Oil and Dispersed Oil Behavior• Droplet Size/Formation

• Coalescence and Slick Reformation

• Transport

• Oil in Ice

• Temperature Effects on Oil Weathering

• Weathering

• Testing/Monitoring

• OMA/OSA

• Mathematical Modeling

• Subsea Release

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Degradation and Fate

• Fate of Dispersants

• Oil Sedimentation (i.e., OMA/OSA, bulk sinking, marine snow)

• Biodegradation of Oil

• Biodegradation of Oil: Pathways

• Factors Affecting Biodegradation

• Effect of Chemical Dispersants on Oil Biodegradation

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Eco-Toxicity and Sublethal Impacts

• Exposure Pathways

• Arctic Conditions

• Toxicity of Oil & Dispersed Oil to Arctic Species• Birds

• Marine Mammals

• Fish and Lower Trophic Levels

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Public Health and Food Security

• Human Health & Toxicity• Human Exposure to Dispersants and Dispersed

Oil

• Potential Human Toxicological Impacts of Dispersants and Dispersed Oil

• Arctic Food Security

• Seafood Safety

• Risk Assessment and Communication

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Public Input Process

• CRRC is sequentially releasing each panel’s document of scientific knowns and uncertainties

• Particularly as they apply to Arctic waters

• Website where interested parties can review subject areas and database and submit written input

• Written input requires citations from scientific publications to support statements

• Not research in progress

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Current Document Status

• Statements of knowns and uncertainties for Efficacy & Effectiveness and Physical Transport & Chemical Behavior

• Input received and submission period closed

• Release of other documents on approximately monthly schedule

• Degradation and Fate (Today)

• Eco-Toxicity and Sublethal Impacts (~May)

• Public Health and Food Security (~June)

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http://crrc.unh.edu/workshop/crrc/dispersant_science

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Link to Website


Future Schedule

• Each panel will review public input and decide how to accommodate it

• Summary document will be prepared for SONS Senior Executives from individual documents

• Project Phase 2: Communications of State of Science will occur in late 2016• Will generate Will generate Will generate Will generate recommendations on outreach materialsrecommendations on outreach materialsrecommendations on outreach materialsrecommendations on outreach materials

• Implications for DDO in nonImplications for DDO in nonImplications for DDO in nonImplications for DDO in non----Arctic watersArctic watersArctic watersArctic waters

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To Sign-up for Public Input Email

I have sign-up sheet here today

OR

Go to CRRC website

http://crrc.unh.edu/workshop/crrc/dispersant_science

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Thank You!

Questions?

Nancy [email protected]

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