Forensic Analysis of Residual Oil along Abu Ali Island, Saudi Arabia
Extensive asphalt pavements have persisted along >25 km (km) of shoreline on Abu Ali Island, on the Arabian (Persian) Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, reportedly stranding as a result of the 1983–1985 Nowruz oil spills. A study was conducted in October 2020 to support development of a remediation plan...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/10/12/1877 |
| _version_ | 1797456913049321472 |
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| author | Jacqueline Michel Zachary Nixon Linos Cotsapas Scott Zengel Jennifer Weaver Harold Fravel Philip Bambach |
| author_facet | Jacqueline Michel Zachary Nixon Linos Cotsapas Scott Zengel Jennifer Weaver Harold Fravel Philip Bambach |
| author_sort | Jacqueline Michel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Extensive asphalt pavements have persisted along >25 km (km) of shoreline on Abu Ali Island, on the Arabian (Persian) Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, reportedly stranding as a result of the 1983–1985 Nowruz oil spills. A study was conducted in October 2020 to support development of a remediation plan. Cross-shore transects were surveyed at 100 m intervals and 1434 shovel test pits were dug to determine oil type, thickness, and depth of burial. Oiling of any description was observed at 76% of the pits. Using 15 diagnostic biomarker ratios, only 5 of the 94 oiled samples from Abu Ali Island in 2020 likely contain other oils. Data on historical spills were identified from the literature. Based on chemical biomarker data for potential source oils in the northern Arabian (Persian) Gulf, the diagnostic ratio for the biomarkers 18a-22,29,30-Trisnorneohopane (Ts) and 17a(H)-22,29,30-Trisnorhopane (Tm) for the 94 samples only matched one Iraq crude oil. No large individual spills of Iraq crude oil were identified in the literature or spill databases, although releases of both Kuwait and Iraq crudes were reported for the 1991 Gulf War oil spills. However, oil residues from Abu Ali did not match most prior samples of Saudi shoreline oiling from the Gulf War oil spills, which largely consisted of spilled Kuwait crude. Though we cannot definitely conclude that the majority of the residual oil on Abu Ali Island delineated during the 2020 survey is oil from the Nowruz oil spills, because there is no source oil from these spills, we use a weight of evidence approach to say that it is highly likely that the majority of the residual oiling is from the Nowruz spills. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:14:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-340eb02a3f814fa0882d3131e517a448 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:14:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-340eb02a3f814fa0882d3131e517a4482023-11-24T15:55:52ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122022-12-011012187710.3390/jmse10121877Forensic Analysis of Residual Oil along Abu Ali Island, Saudi ArabiaJacqueline Michel0Zachary Nixon1Linos Cotsapas2Scott Zengel3Jennifer Weaver4Harold Fravel5Philip Bambach6Research Planning, Inc., Columbia, SC 29201, USAResearch Planning, Inc., Columbia, SC 29201, USAResearch Planning, Inc., Columbia, SC 29201, USAResearch Planning, Inc., Tallahassee, FL 32303, USAResearch Planning, Inc., Columbia, SC 29201, USAResearch Planning, Inc., Tallahassee, FL 32303, USAResearch Planning, Inc., Columbia, SC 29201, USAExtensive asphalt pavements have persisted along >25 km (km) of shoreline on Abu Ali Island, on the Arabian (Persian) Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, reportedly stranding as a result of the 1983–1985 Nowruz oil spills. A study was conducted in October 2020 to support development of a remediation plan. Cross-shore transects were surveyed at 100 m intervals and 1434 shovel test pits were dug to determine oil type, thickness, and depth of burial. Oiling of any description was observed at 76% of the pits. Using 15 diagnostic biomarker ratios, only 5 of the 94 oiled samples from Abu Ali Island in 2020 likely contain other oils. Data on historical spills were identified from the literature. Based on chemical biomarker data for potential source oils in the northern Arabian (Persian) Gulf, the diagnostic ratio for the biomarkers 18a-22,29,30-Trisnorneohopane (Ts) and 17a(H)-22,29,30-Trisnorhopane (Tm) for the 94 samples only matched one Iraq crude oil. No large individual spills of Iraq crude oil were identified in the literature or spill databases, although releases of both Kuwait and Iraq crudes were reported for the 1991 Gulf War oil spills. However, oil residues from Abu Ali did not match most prior samples of Saudi shoreline oiling from the Gulf War oil spills, which largely consisted of spilled Kuwait crude. Though we cannot definitely conclude that the majority of the residual oil on Abu Ali Island delineated during the 2020 survey is oil from the Nowruz oil spills, because there is no source oil from these spills, we use a weight of evidence approach to say that it is highly likely that the majority of the residual oiling is from the Nowruz spills.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/10/12/1877residual oilasphalt pavementpetroleum biomarkersNowruz oil spillAbu Ali IslandSaudi Arabia |
| spellingShingle | Jacqueline Michel Zachary Nixon Linos Cotsapas Scott Zengel Jennifer Weaver Harold Fravel Philip Bambach Forensic Analysis of Residual Oil along Abu Ali Island, Saudi Arabia Journal of Marine Science and Engineering residual oil asphalt pavement petroleum biomarkers Nowruz oil spill Abu Ali Island Saudi Arabia |
| title | Forensic Analysis of Residual Oil along Abu Ali Island, Saudi Arabia |
| title_full | Forensic Analysis of Residual Oil along Abu Ali Island, Saudi Arabia |
| title_fullStr | Forensic Analysis of Residual Oil along Abu Ali Island, Saudi Arabia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forensic Analysis of Residual Oil along Abu Ali Island, Saudi Arabia |
| title_short | Forensic Analysis of Residual Oil along Abu Ali Island, Saudi Arabia |
| title_sort | forensic analysis of residual oil along abu ali island saudi arabia |
| topic | residual oil asphalt pavement petroleum biomarkers Nowruz oil spill Abu Ali Island Saudi Arabia |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/10/12/1877 |
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