Possible Accumulation of Heavy Metals Around Offshore Oil Production Facilities

• Main Authors: In The Beaufort Sea, Thomas K. Newbury
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; Beaufort Sea
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.490.6667; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic32-1-42.pdf

ABSTRACT. The heavy metals chromium, zinc, cadmium and lead have accumulated in the sediments around some offshore oil rigs. Oil production is now being considered for some nearshore sections of the Beaufort Sea coast. During winter in the Beaufort Sea, heavy metals in the sediments will not be dispersed; the under-ice currents are slow, and some of the bottom is covered by very saline, relatively stagnant water. Heavy metals in the sediments can probably be assimilated by epibenthic animals in the nearshore region, and then transferred through the food chain to natives who partially subsist on marine animals. There have been many field studies on the accumulation of heavy metals in the sediments around offshore oil and gas production facilities. A study of the East Flower Garden Bank off Texas, funded by Mobil Oil Corporation, found a threefold increase in the concentration of lead near the drill site (Anon., 1975). Another study of the offshore Texas area found about threefold increases in the concentrations of zinc, cadmium and lead (Holmes and Barnes, 1977). A study of the Tanner Bank oil field off California, funded by