Toxicity of weathered Deepwater Horizon oil to bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli) embryos

O'Shaughnessy, Kathryn A.; Forth, Heather P.; Takeshita, Ryan; Chesney, Edward

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.10.052

Cited by 20 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…It is currently not known whether such an exposure can lead to toxic effects in these organisms. However, toxicity tests with fresh and weathered MWO (i.e., collected from the sea surface) resulted in effects that cannot be explained by differences in PAHs alone. − More in-depth studies need to be performed to determine whether OxHC compounds in weathered oil can be responsible for such toxic effects.…”

Section: Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Persistent and Bioavailable Are Oxygenated Deepwater Horizon Oil Transformation Products?

Aeppli

Swarthout

O’Neil

et al. 2018

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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About half of the surface oil floating on the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill was transformed into oxygenated hydrocarbons (OxHC) within days to weeks. These OxHC persist for years in oil/sand aggregates in nearshore and beach environments, and there is concern that these aggregates might represent a long-term source of toxic compounds. However, because this OxHC fraction is a continuum of transformation products that are not well chemically characterized, it is not included in current oil spill fate and effect models. This challenges an accurate environmental risk assessment of weathered oil. Here, we used molecular and bulk analytical techniques to constrain the chemical composition and environmental fate of weathered oil samples collected on the sea surface and beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. We found that approximately 50% of the weathering-related disappearance of saturated and aromatic compounds in these samples was compensated by an increase in OxHC. Furthermore, we identified and quantified a suite of oxygenated aliphatic compounds that are more water-soluble and less hydrophobic than its presumed precursors, but only represent <1% of the oil residues' mass. Lastly, dissolution experiments showed that compounds in the OxHC fraction can leach into the water; however, the mass loss of this process is small. Overall, this study shows that the OxHC fraction is prevalent and persistent in weathered oil/sand aggregates, which can act as a long-term source of dissolved oil-derived compounds.

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Section: Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Persistent and Bioavailable Are Oxygenated Deepwater Horizon Oil Transformation Products?

Aeppli

Swarthout

O’Neil

et al. 2018

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…First, the observed toxicity of oil photoproducts on copepods raises questions about toxicity toward other aquatic organisms. While increased fish toxicity of the more photo-oxidized JU relative to the CTC oil residue has been attributed to preferential enrichment of three-ring PAHs, − oil photoproducts might also play a role in fish toxicity . More research to quantify the toxicity contribution of oil photoproducts to various aquatic organisms is necessary.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Chemical Composition and Copepod Toxicity during Petroleum Photo-oxidation

Katz

Chen

Fields

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Photoproducts can be formed rapidly in the initial phase of a marine oil spill. However, their toxicity is not well understood. In this study, oil was irradiated, chemically characterized, and tested for toxicity in three copepod species (Acartia tonsa, Temora longicornis, and Calanus finmarchicus). Irradiation led to a depletion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n-alkanes in oil residues, along with an enrichment in aromatic and aliphatic oil photoproducts. Target lipid model-based calculations of PAH toxicity units predicted that PAH toxicities were lower in water-accommodated fractions (WAFs) of irradiated oil residues (“irradiated WAFs”) than in WAFs of dark-control samples (“dark WAFs”). In contrast, biomimetic extraction (BE) measurements showed increased bioaccumulation potential of dissolved constituents of irradiated WAFs compared to dark WAFs, mainly driven by photoproducts present in irradiated oil. In line with the BE results, copepod mortality increased in irradiated WAFs compared to dark WAFs. However, low copepod toxicities were observed for WAFs produced with photo-oxidized oil slicks collected during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The results of this study suggest that while oil photoproducts have the potential to be a significant source of copepod toxicity, dilution and dispersion of these higher solubility products appear to help mitigate their toxicity at sea.

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“…These differences may be related to the amount of dissolved ≥ three-ringed PAHs in the oil although source and weathered oil initiated similar LC 50s in red drum (Khursigara et al 2017). A difference between weathered oil and source oil was also found in bay anchovies (Anchoa mitchillis) in which the LC 50s were lower in embryos exposed to more weathered fractions of DWH oil (O'Shaughnessy et al 2018). Despite differences in weathering, concentration often remains the critical predictor of effects.…”

Section: Fishmentioning

confidence: 93%

A review of the toxicology of oil in vertebrates: what we have learned following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Takeshita

Bursian

Colegrove

et al. 2021

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B

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In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, a number of government agencies, academic institutions, consultants, and nonprofit organizations conducted lab-and field-based research to understand the toxic effects of the oil. Lab testing was performed with a variety of fish, birds, turtles, and vertebrate cell lines (as well as invertebrates); field biologists conducted observations on fish, birds, turtles, and marine mammals; and epidemiologists carried out observational studies in humans. Eight years after the spill, scientists and resource managers held a workshop to summarize the similarities and differences in the effects of DWH oil on vertebrate taxa and to identify remaining gaps in our understanding of oil toxicity in wildlife and humans, building upon the cross-taxonomic synthesis initiated during the Natural Resource Damage Assessment. Across the studies, consistency was found in the types of toxic response observed in the different organisms. Impairment of stress responses and adrenal gland function, cardiotoxicity, immune system dysfunction, disruption of blood cells and their function, effects on locomotion, and oxidative damage were observed across taxa. This consistency suggests conservation in the mechanisms of action and disease pathogenesis. From a toxicological perspective, a logical progression of impacts was noted: from molecular and cellular effects that manifest as organ dysfunction, to systemic effects that compromise fitness, growth, reproductive potential, and survival. From a clinical perspective, adverse health effects from DWH oil spill exposure formed a suite of signs/symptomatic responses that at the highest doses/concentrations resulted in multi-organ system failure.

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Toxicity of weathered Deepwater Horizon oil to bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli) embryos

Cited by 20 publications

References 39 publications

How Persistent and Bioavailable Are Oxygenated Deepwater Horizon Oil Transformation Products?

How Persistent and Bioavailable Are Oxygenated Deepwater Horizon Oil Transformation Products?

Changes in Chemical Composition and Copepod Toxicity during Petroleum Photo-oxidation

A review of the toxicology of oil in vertebrates: what we have learned following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

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