Publication Date:
2019
Description:
Abstract
Natural attenuation is very often the remediation method of necessity, rather than choice, for beach environments impacted by offshore exploration/drilling accidents. Robust methods that can be efficiently utilized in difficult to access and ecologically sensitive areas are needed for the long‐term monitoring of such degradation processes. A prime candidate for such a monitoring tool is the spectral induced polarization (SIP) method, a geophysical technique successfully used for characterization and monitoring of hydrocarbon degradation in freshwater environments. In this laboratory experiment the SIP method successfully monitored the natural degradation of beach sediments impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Using the SIP, we were able to differentiate between biotic (e.g., microbial driven) and abiotic (e.g., dilution) degradation processes and infer degradation rates. To our knowledge this is the first effort to use the SIP method as a monitoring aid in high salinity environments.
Print ISSN:
2169-8953
Electronic ISSN:
2169-8961
Topics:
Biology
,
Geosciences
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