Water column monitoring near oil installations in the North Sea 2001-2004

• Published in: Marine Pollution Bulletin
• Main Authors: Hylland, Ketil, Tollefsen, Knut-Erik, Ruus, Anders, Jonsson, Grete, Sundt, Rolf C., Sanni, Steinar, Utvik, Toril Inga Røe, Johnsen, Ståle, Nilssen, Ingunn, Pinturier, Laurence, Balk, Lennart, Baršienė, Janina, Marigòmez, Ionan, Feist, Stephen W., Borseth, Jan Fredrik
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Flounder Platichthys flesus; Glutathione S-transferase; Esox-lucius; Mass spectrometry; Produced water; Caging; Atlantic cod; Blue mussels; Biomarkers; Monitoring; atlantic cod
• Online Access: http://lmavb.lvb.lt/LMAVB:ELABAPDB5784578&prefLang=en_US

Fisheries have been vital to coastal communities around the North Sea for centuries, but this semi-enclosed sea also receives large amounts of waste. It is therefore important to monitor and control inputs of contaminants into the North Sea. Inputs of effluents from offshore oil and gas production platforms (produced water) in the Norwegian sector have been monitored through an integrated chemical and biological effects programme since 2001. The programme has used caged Atlantic cod and blue mussels. PAH tissue residues in blue mussels and PAH bile metabolites in cod have confirmed exposure to effluents, but there was variation between years. Results for a range of biological effects methods reflected exposure gradients and indicated that exposure levels were low and caused minor environmental impact at the deployment locations. There is a need to develop methods that are sufficiently sensitive to components in produced water at levels found in marine ecosystems.