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Aliphatic and aromatic biomarkers for fingerprinting of weathered chemically dispersed oil

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Abstract

This study evaluated the applicability of eight types of biomarkers namely, adamantanes, diamantanes, sesquiterpanes, steranes, terpanes, TA-steranes, MA-steranes, and alkylated PAHs, to characterize chemically dispersed oil (CDO) after the 60-day weathering. The stability of diagnostic ratios of the selected biomarkers was evaluated and summarized. The results indicated that the concentrations of biomarkers with low molecular weight, such as adamantanes, diamantanes, and sesquiterpanes, in CDO were markedly affected by weathering and the associated diagnostic ratios were changed extensively. Most of the alkylated PAHs were degraded during weathering as well. These biomarkers thus were not recommended for characterizing CDO. The majority of the terpanes, steranes, TA-steranes, and MA-steranes could be used for weathered CDO fingerprinting due to the relatively stable diagnostic ratios. The findings could help to identify applicable biomarkers for fingerprinting of weathered dispersed oil.

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Funding

This research is supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Research & Development Corporation (RDC) of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, A1B 3X5, Canada

    Xing Song, Baiyu Zhang, Bing Chen, Leonard Lye & Xixi Li

Authors
  1. Xing Song
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  2. Baiyu Zhang
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  3. Bing Chen
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  4. Leonard Lye
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  5. Xixi Li
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Correspondence to Baiyu Zhang.

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Responsible editor: Roland Peter Kallenborn

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Song, X., Zhang, B., Chen, B. et al. Aliphatic and aromatic biomarkers for fingerprinting of weathered chemically dispersed oil. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 15702–15714 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1730-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1730-y

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