RAPID: Photochemical Fate of Oil Dispersants Used in the Gulf Oil Spill Clean-up

RAPID：海湾溢油清理中使用的油分散剂的光化学归宿

• 批准号: 1043818
• 负责人: Karl Linden
• 金额: $ 8.23万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-07-01 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1043818&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RAPID; Photochemical; Fate; Oil; Dispersants

AbstractPI: Karl LindenProposal Number: 1043818Institution: University of Colorado at BoulderTitle: Photochemical Fate of Oil Dispersants Used in the Gulf Oil Spill Clean-upThis research is in response to events subsequent to an explosion on the British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. One strategy that BP is taking to stem the flow of oil toward the shoreline is the use of dispersants. Dispersants are designed to break up large globules of oil into smaller droplets that would be more amenable to biodegradation. However, the use of dispersants is being carried out in larger quantities than ever before and being injected deep underwater at the source of the oil leak. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extremely concerned about the toxicity of the dispersant being used and issued a directive to BP ?to identify and use a less toxic and more effective dispersant from the list of EPA authorized dispersants?. This proposal was submitted to the RAPID program to provide quick response research relating to this anthropogenic disaster. The research to be performed under this RAPID proposal is to study the photochemical fate of the dispersants used in the spill clean-up effort to determine the extent to which sunlight driven processes can degrade the chemicals used. The environmental fate of the surfactants and hydrocarbons being spread into the ocean are relatively unknown. The objectives of this study are to (1) develop an analytical method to follow the decay of the dispersant (COREXIT) in the laboratory using a mass spectral fingerprint analysis; (2) Investigate the sunlight driven degradation of COREXIT in laboratory grade water and synthetic ocean waters; (3) Obtain environmental samples of water containing the dispersant and study the sunlight decay in the presence of the background water matrix and oil from the spill; and (4) Model and estimate the half life of identifiable chemicals in the dispersant, based on sunlight fluences experienced in the Gulf on the water surface.The intellectual merit of this proposal is to develop both fundamental and applied data that will help predict the photochemical fate of dispersants discharged into the Gulf of Mexico. Fundamental data include rate constants, quantum yields, and radical reaction rates, while the applied information relates to half-life of the chemicals and long-term potential for chemical impacts. The broader impacts for this project will focus mostly on the dissemination of results via media, public seminars and governmental agencies concerned with the environmental impacts of the oil spill. Their activities during travel to the gulf to survey the region and collect samples will be communicated using outlets such as web postings and Twitter. These tweets and Internet activity will be communicated to classes in session at University of Colorado-Boulder such as Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering in Fall and Spring 2010/11. Given the environmental significance of this disaster event and the technologies being implemented to deal with the situation, the team will use the information from the project and incorporate it into course material as part of a newly funded GK-12 by NSF at UC-Boulder. The student funded on this RAPID project will also participate in the GK-12 grant and will incorporate the results into lessons targeting the pros and cons of oil exploration and also the need for engineers in these areas. A simple experiment where an oil leak is simulated in a beaker, complete with dispersants, will also be developed as a ?hands-on? activity.

摘要PI：KARL LINDENPROPOPALOPOSALE编号：104381​​8宪法：科罗拉多大学Bouldertitle分校：墨西哥湾油溢油中使用的石油分散剂的光化学命运，这是对英国石油公司（BP）深水地平线爆炸的事件的响应，这是对事件的回应。路易斯安那州海岸的墨西哥湾。 BP正在采取的一种策略来阻止石油向海岸线的流动，是使用分散剂。 分散剂旨在将大的油球拆分为较小的液滴，这些液滴更适合生物降解。 但是，使用分散剂的使用比以往任何时候都更大，并在油泄漏源的水下注入了深水。 美国环境保护局（EPA）非常关注被使用的分散剂的毒性，并发布了BP的指令？以识别和使用EPA授权分散剂清单中的毒性和更有效的分散剂？ 该提案已提交给快速计划，以提供与这一人为灾难有关的快速响应研究。 在这项快速提案下进行的研究是研究溢出清理工作中使用的分散剂的光化学命运，以确定阳光驱动的过程可以在多大程度上降解所使用的化学物质。 表面活性剂和烃的环境命运相对尚不清楚。 这项研究的目标是（1）开发一种分析方法，以实验室中使用质谱指纹分析来遵循实验室分散剂（Corexit）的衰减； （2）研究实验室级水和合成海水中Corexit的阳光驱动的降解； （3）获取含有分散剂的水的环境样品，并在存在背景水基质和溢油的油中研究阳光腐烂； （4）模型并估算了分散剂中可识别化学物质的一半寿命，基于海湾在水面上经历的阳光，该提议的智力优点是开发基本数据和应用数据，以帮助预测光化学分散物的命运被排入墨西哥湾。 基本数据包括速率常数，量子收益率和根治性反应率，而应用的信息与化学物质的半衰期有关以及化学影响的长期潜力。对该项目的更广泛的影响将主要集中于通过媒体，公共研讨会和政府机构涉及涉及石油泄漏的环境影响的结果。他们在海湾旅行期间调查该地区并收集样品的活动将使用网络帖子和Twitter等渠道进行交流。 这些推文和互联网活动将与科罗拉多大学 - 博尔德分校的课程传达，例如2010/11秋季和春季的环境工程基础知识。 鉴于该灾难事件的环境意义以及正在实施的处理情况的技术，该团队将使用项目中的信息，并将其纳入课程材料中，作为NSF在UC-Boulder的新资助的GK-12的一部分。 在这个快速项目上资助的学生还将参加GK-12赠款，并将结果纳入针对石油勘探利弊的课程，以及在这些领域中对工程师的需求。 一个简单的实验，在烧杯中模拟机油泄漏，并带有分散剂，也将以“动手”开发？活动。