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Potential application of oil-suspended particulate matter aggregates (OSA) on the remediation of reflective beaches impacted by petroleum: a mesocosm simulation

  • DECAPAGE Project: Hydrocarbon degradation in coastal sediments*
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Abstract

This paper presents the oil-suspended particulate matter aggregate (OSA) resulted from the interaction of droplets of dispersed oil in a water column and particulate matter. This structure reduces the adhesion of oil on solid surfaces, promotes dispersion, and may accelerate degradation processes. The effects of the addition of fine sediments (clay + silt) on the formation of OSA, their impact on the dispersion and degradation of the oil, and their potential use in recovering reflective sandy beaches were evaluated in a mesoscale simulation model. Two simulations were performed (21 days), in the absence and presence of fine sediments, with four units in each simulation using oil from the Recôncavo Basin. The results showed that the use of fine sediment increased the dispersion of the oil in the water column up to four times in relation to the sandy sediment. There was no evidence of the transport of hydrocarbons in bottom sediments associated with fine sediments that would have accelerated the dispersion and degradation rates of the oil. Most of the OSA that formed in this process remained in the water column, where the degradation processes were more effective. Over the 21 days of simulation, we observed a 40 % reduction on average of the levels of saturated hydrocarbons staining the surface oil.

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Abbreviations

SPM:

Suspended particulate matter

OSA:

Oil-suspended particulate matter aggregates

TPHs:

Total petroleum hydrocarbons

TOC:

Total organic carbon

LEPETRO:

Laboratory for the Study of Petroleum

GC-FID:

Gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector

OM:

Organic matter

PCA:

Principal component analysis

HCA:

Hierarchical cluster analysis

Pr:

Pristane

Ph:

Phytane

CAPES:

Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel

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Acknowledgments

This study was performed with financial support from the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and Queiroz Galvão Exploração e Produção S.A.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Núcleo de Estudos Ambientais, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Campus de Ondina, 40170-290, Salvador, BA, Brazil

    Carine S. Silva, Olivia M. C. de Oliveira, Icaro T. A. Moreira, Antonio F. S. Queiroz, Marcos de Almeida, Jessica V. L. Silva & Igor Oliveira da Silva Andrade

  2. Instituto de Geociências, Departamento de Geofísica, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Campus de Ondina, 40170-290, Salvador, BA, Brazil

    Olivia M. C. de Oliveira

Authors
  1. Carine S. Silva
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  2. Olivia M. C. de Oliveira
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  3. Icaro T. A. Moreira
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  4. Antonio F. S. Queiroz
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  5. Marcos de Almeida
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  6. Jessica V. L. Silva
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  7. Igor Oliveira da Silva Andrade
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Correspondence to Carine S. Silva.

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Responsible editor: Hongwen Sun

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Silva, C.S., de Oliveira, O.M.C., Moreira, I.T.A. et al. Potential application of oil-suspended particulate matter aggregates (OSA) on the remediation of reflective beaches impacted by petroleum: a mesocosm simulation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 18071–18083 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5234-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5234-8

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