Bioaccumulation Study of Produced Water Discharges from Southeastern Brazilian Offshore Petroleum Industry Using Feral Fishes

Abstract

The main effluent of oil and gas production is the discharge of produced water (PW). Despite the potential environmental impact, the structure of oil and gas platforms can act as artificial reefs. Two species of fish, Caranx crysos and Tylosurus acus, were captured under two discharging platforms at Campos Basin, P19 and P40. A nondischarging platform, P25, was taken as reference. The highest median concentration of PAH in muscle tissue was observed for C. Crysos at P40 (219.38 ng g) followed by P19 (68.26 ng g). For T. acus, the highest median concentrations were 40.07 and 42.21 ng g from P19 and P40 respectively. P25 presented the smallest recorded concentrations. The results of PAH in the muscle tissue of C. crysos enabled to distinguish the platforms with PW discharge from the platform without discharge. Trace elements concentrations reflected the background levels and were not influenced by the PW release.

Brazilian offshore oil exploration areas: an overview of hydrocarbon pollution

“…The average value observed for T. acus was 42.21 ng g -1 (P40), followed by 40.07 ng g -1 (P19) and 18.04 ng g -1 (P25, control group). These results with fish study confirmed a previous bioaccumulation of PAH by produced water discharge detected with bivalves under the platforms (P19 and P40) at Campos Basin (Lourenço et al, 2018). Produced water had small quantities of oil and derivatives, being usually well diluted because of the continuous discharge.…”

“…The PAHs pollution levels were investigated in the ocean by produced water discharge around the P19 and P40 offshore platforms in Campos Basin, using two species of fish, Caranxcrysos and Tylosurusacus (Lourenço et al, 2018). The non discharging produced water platform P25 was taken as an uncontaminated reference.…”

“…Produced water had small quantities of oil and derivatives, being usually well diluted because of the continuous discharge. The bioaccumulation of tested fish could be considered as minimally contaminated with PAH, even if the concentration of PAH in the muscle tissues of both species were low and not genotoxic (Lourenço et al, 2018).…”