Marine oil pollution in the Bay of Fundy
LE3 .A278 2015
2015
Tong, Anthony
Acadia University
Master of Science
Masters
Chemistry
The Bay of Fundy is a popular fishing ground with the highest tides in the world. Lubricating waste oil from marine vessels and on-land discharges may pose risks to this marine environment. This project was designed to investigate the degree of oil contamination in the Bay of Fundy by measuring n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), two major classes of compounds in petroleum. In this project, both high and low tidal water samples as well as sediment samples were collected at 20 sites along the coast of the Bay of Fundy. Sample preparation methods were developed for both water and sediment samples. Alkanes and PAHs were analyzed using gas chromatography ˗ mass spectrometry (GC˗MS). Other important water quality parameters were also tested including, chemical oxygen demand (COD). Oil pollution was found at most sites. Average concentrations of total n-alkanes were determined to be 324 ng/L, 123 ng/L and 83 ng/g for seawater, freshwater and sediment samples, respectively. The highest levels of total n-alkanes in water and sediment samples were found at Margaretville, NS (2,210 ng/L in seawater) and the Little River across from the Bayside Dr. in Saint John, NB (717 ng/g in sediment). Average concentrations of total PAHs were determined to be 9.86 ng/L, 26.6 ng/L and 82 ng/g for seawater, freshwater and sediment samples, respectively. The highest levels of total PAHs in water and sediment samples were found at Tiverton, NS (50.4 ng/L in seawater) and the Little River across the Bayside Dr. in Saint John, NB (501 ng/g in sediment). Although the enormous tide in the Bay of Fundy diluted oil pollution, differences between high and low tidal seawater samples were observed at some sites but not for averages of all sites.
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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:403