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  • Investigating Sources of Air Pollution Over The Refugio Oil Spill

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    Bradley Garczynski, Dartmouth College Oil spills release harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, which can lead to the formation of criteria pollutants such as ozone and secondary organic aerosols. Monitoring these pollutants is important in predicting long term negative effects on human health. The Refugio Oil Spill of May 2015 released 21,000 gallons of crude oil into the Santa Barbara Channel, and had a significant impact on coastal beaches and marine ecosystems. Using gas chromatography to quantify VOCs, we compared whole air samples collected over the Santa Barbara channel in June 2014 and June 2015. These samples were collected onboard the NASA DC-8 as part of the NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP). Our results showed that, relative to 2014, there were significant enhancements in low-altitude hydrocarbon mixing ratios in 2015 samples collected one month after the oil spill. Mixing ratios of carbon monoxide, ethyne, and various halocarbons were also elevated in 2015, suggesting a significant urban influence over the channel. Further investigation revealed the presence of a Catalina Eddy off the coast of Southern California during the 2015 flight that redirected polluted air from Los Angeles to the Santa Barbara Channel. This evidence was consistent with the calculated photochemical age of the sampled plume. Analysis of heavy hydrocarbons collected at very-low altitudes (~200-400 feet) over the Santa Barbara channel suggested a non-urban oil influence being emitted from the ocean. However, there was not enough evidence to conclude that this was a direct result of the oil spill rather than natural oil seeps or pre-existing infrastructure. This work suggests that the impact of the Refugio Oil Spill on the air quality of Santa Barbara was likely minimal at the time of this study.

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    Bradley Garczynski, Dartmouth College Oil spills release harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, which can lead to the formation of criteria pollutants such as ozone and secondary organic aerosols. Monitoring these pollutants is important in predicting long term negative effects on human health. The Refugio Oil Spill of May 2015 released 21,000 gallons of crude oil into the Santa Barbara Channel, and had a significant impact on coastal beaches and marine ecosystems. Using gas chromatography to quantify VOCs, we compared whole air samples collected over the Santa Barbara channel in June 2014 and June 2015. These samples were collected onboard the NASA DC-8 as part of the NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP). Our results showed that, relative to 2014, there were significant enhancements in low-altitude hydrocarbon mixing ratios in 2015 samples collected one month after the oil spill. Mixing ratios of carbon monoxide, ethyne, and various halocarbons were also elevated in 2015, suggesting a significant urban influence over the channel. Further investigation revealed the presence of a Catalina Eddy off the coast of Southern California during the 2015 flight that redirected polluted air from Los Angeles to the Santa Barbara Channel. This evidence was consistent with the calculated photochemical age of the sampled plume. Analysis of heavy hydrocarbons collected at very-low altitudes (~200-400 feet) over the Santa Barbara channel suggested a non-urban oil influence being emitted from the ocean. However, there was not enough evidence to conclude that this was a direct result of the oil spill rather than natural oil seeps or pre-existing infrastructure. This work suggests that the impact of the Refugio Oil Spill on the air quality of Santa Barbara was likely minimal at the time of this study.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    208 views25 pages

    Investigating Sources of Air Pollution Over The Refugio Oil Spill

    Uploaded by

    jpeterson1
    Bradley Garczynski, Dartmouth College Oil spills release harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, which can lead to the formation of criteria pollutants such as ozone and secondary organic aerosols. Monitoring these pollutants is important in predicting long term negative effects on human health. The Refugio Oil Spill of May 2015 released 21,000 gallons of crude oil into the Santa Barbara Channel, and had a significant impact on coastal beaches and marine ecosystems. Using gas chromatography to quantify VOCs, we compared whole air samples collected over the Santa Barbara channel in June 2014 and June 2015. These samples were collected onboard the NASA DC-8 as part of the NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP). Our results showed that, relative to 2014, there were significant enhancements in low-altitude hydrocarbon mixing ratios in 2015 samples collected one month after the oil spill. Mixing ratios of carbon monoxide, ethyne, and various halocarbons were also elevated in 2015, suggesting a significant urban influence over the channel. Further investigation revealed the presence of a Catalina Eddy off the coast of Southern California during the 2015 flight that redirected polluted air from Los Angeles to the Santa Barbara Channel. This evidence was consistent with the calculated photochemical age of the sampled plume. Analysis of heavy hydrocarbons collected at very-low altitudes (~200-400 feet) over the Santa Barbara channel suggested a non-urban oil influence being emitted from the ocean. However, there was not enough evidence to conclude that this was a direct result of the oil spill rather than natural oil seeps or pre-existing infrastructure. This work suggests that the impact of the Refugio Oil Spill on the air quality of Santa Barbara was likely minimal at the time of this study.

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    Investigating Sources of Air

    Pollution over the Refugio Oil Spill


    Bradley Garczynski
    Dartmouth College
    Department of Earth Science and Biology

    Advisor: Dr. Don Blake, UC Irvine
    Mentor: Dr. Jason Schroeder, UC Irvine

    Refugio Oil Spill


    May 19th, 2015
    101,000 gallons of crude oil
    21,000 gallons reached Pacic Ocean
    Cost estimated to be near $100 million
    200 birds and 100 marine mammals found dead in the spill area
    Tar balls reaching as far as 100 miles away

    What about air quality?


    VOCs

    PAH

    Mo7va7on

    Increased VOCs can lead to ozone and secondary organic

    aerosols (SOA) formation (Middlebrook et al. 2011)


    Health Eects of Air Pollutants (EPA)

    Short-term eects

    Odors and headache, eye, nose, & throat irritation, nausea

    Long-term eects
    Negative impact on nervous system
    Can lead to liver and kidney damage as well as cancer


    NOx

    VOCs

    hv

    What impact is the Refugio Oil Spill having on the


    air quality of Santa Barbara?

    Objective
    - Identify possible enhancements in hydrocarbons over the
    Santa Barbara Channel
    - Quantify the impact of the oil spill on the local air quality

    th
    SARP Flight 4 June 24 , 2015

    25000

    SARP 2015 Flight 4

    n = 43

    Altitude (ft)

    20000
    15000
    10000
    5000
    0
    175.68 175.685 175.69 175.695 175.7 175.705 175.71
    Time (Julian)

    25000

    SARP 2015 Flight 4 < 3000 ft

    n = 14

    Altitude (ft)

    20000
    15000
    10000

    min. = 262 ft

    5000
    0
    175.68 175.685 175.69 175.695 175.7 175.705 175.71
    Time (Julian)

    25000

    SARP 2015 Flight 4 < 3000 ft

    n = 14

    SARP 2014 Flight 4

    n = 45

    Altitude (ft)

    20000
    15000
    10000
    5000
    0
    176.69

    176.695

    176.7

    176.705

    Time (Julian)

    176.71

    176.715

    25000

    SARP 2015 Flight 4 < 3000 ft

    n = 14

    SARP 2014 Flight 4 < 3000 ft

    n = 14

    Altitude (ft)

    20000
    15000

    min. = 520 ft

    10000
    5000
    0
    176.69

    176.695

    176.7

    176.705

    Time (Julian)

    176.71

    176.715

    Laboratory Analysis
    Multi-column gas analytical system
    used to measure over 100 trace gases:

    Flame Ionization Detection (FID)


    Electron Capture Detection (ECD)


    Mass Spectrometer Detection


    (MSD)

    SARP 2015 Flight 4 < 3000 ft

    n = 14

    SARP 2014 Flight 4 < 3000 ft

    n = 14

    p < 0.05

    Are all these hydrocarbons coming


    from the oil spill?
    Chemical Urban Tracers
    Fossil fuel combustion:
    Ethyne (C2H2)
    Carbon monoxide (CO)

    Industrial:
    C2Cl4
    HFC-134a
    HCFC-22
    CH2Cl2

    p < 0.05

    Where is this pollu7on coming from?


    Objective 2.0
    - Investigate the source of such
    urban pollution
    - Determine the amount of
    inuence this plume is having
    on the Santa Barbara Channel

    Hybrid Single Par7cle Lagrangian Integrated


    Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT)

    GDAS 240 hrs

    EDAS 120 hr

    June 24th, 2015


    8:00 Local
    850 hPa
    60 @ 10 mph

    June 25th, 2014


    14:00 Local
    850 hPa
    320 @ 8 mph

    earth.nullschool.net

    Catalina Eddy

    So what about the oil spill?


    3-Methylpentane

    ALKANES (ppt)
    Ethane
    Propane
    Light
    i-Butane
    n-Butane
    i-Pentane
    n-Pentane
    n-Hexane
    n-Heptane
    Heavy
    n-Octane
    3-Methylpentane

    C2H6
    C3H8
    C4H10
    C4H10
    C5H12
    C5H12
    C6H14
    C7H16
    C8H16
    C6H14

    5000

    Altitude (ft)

    4000
    3000
    2000

    2015

    1000
    0
    0

    10

    20

    CO
    5000
    Altitude (ft)

    4000
    3000
    2000

    2015

    1000
    0
    50

    70

    90

    30

    Mixing Ratio (ppt)

    110

    130

    Mixing Ratio (ppbv)

    150

    170

    40

    50

    Can we dis7nguish oil spill signal from


    background oil and gas signature?
    Ethane

    Background
    Oil/Gas

    3-Methylpentane

    1-month old

    3-Methylpentane

    Refugio Oil Spill

    3-MePe:Ethane
    Ratio 1 (background + spill)

    > Ratio 2 (background)

    If 2015 > 2014 Oil Spill Inuence


    If 2015 2014 No Oil Spill Inuence

    2014 = 0.0176
    2015 = 0.0181

    3% dierence

    Conclusion
    Higher concentrations of non-methane hydrocarbons

    in the 2015 samples were a result of a Catalina Eddy


    event

    There was a non-urban oil inuence at low altitudes

    over the Santa Barbara Channel

    The impact of the Refugio Oil Spill on Santa Barbara

    air quality was likely minimal at the time of study

    Timing is everything!

    Acknowledgements
    -Whole Air Sampling Group
    -Dr. Jason Schroeder
    -Dr. Don Blake
    -Rafe Day
    -The Rowland-Blake Lab
    -Dr. Emily Schaller
    -Rick Shetter
    -NASA DC-8 Crew
    -NASA
    -NSERC

    Ques7ons?

    References
    Middlebrook, A.M., et al., 2011, Air quality implications of the Deepwater
    Horizon oil spill. Proceedings of the National Academy of
    Sciences 109.50
    Ryerson, T.B., et al., 2011, Chemical data quantify Deepwater Horizon
    hydrocarbon ow rate and environmental distribution. Proceedings of
    the National Academy of Sciences 109.50
    Shallcross, Dudley E., et al., 1997, Rate constants for the reaction
    between OH and CH 3 ONO 2 and C 2 H 5 ONO 2 over a range of
    pressure and temperature. Journal of the Chemical Society, Faraday
    Transactions 93.16
    Wakimoto, Roger M., 1987, The Catalina eddy and its eect on pollution
    over southern California. Monthly weather review 115.4 : 837-855.

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