Oceanography The Official Magazine of
The Oceanography Society
Volume 29 Issue 03

View Issue TOC
Volume 29, No. 3
Pages 196 - 203

OpenAccess

Seafood and Beach Safety in the Aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

By Robert Dickey  and Markus Huettel  
Jump to
Article Abstract Citation References Copyright & Usage
Article Abstract

The 2010 explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the largest oil spill the United States has ever endured. The oil spill raised many public health and environmental concerns, including those about the safety of Gulf seafood and public beaches. Analysis of seafood and coastal beaches in the aftermath of the oil spill indicated that public health risks from exposure to harmful crude oil residues returned to pre-spill levels soon after the oil spill had dissipated. However, the official seafood risk assessment elicited concerns about the inclusion of vulnerable populations, and gaps in toxicological knowledge and related risk information about many of the harmful components in crude oil. Residual crude oil may persist in water-saturated sediments and submerged oil mats that can act as sources for remobilization and future exposures. The response to the Deepwater Horizon event revealed a lack of adequate demographic and human health baseline data, benchmark environmental contaminant data, effective risk communication strategies, and integrated surveillance systems linking human and environmental health status and trends. The development of such knowledge would help improve responses and outcomes to future large-scale catastrophic events.

Citation

Dickey, R., and M. Huettel. 2016. Seafood and beach safety in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Oceanography 29(3):196–203, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2016.83.

References
    Aeppli, C., C.A. Carmichael, R.K. Nelson, K.L. Lemkau, W.M. Graham, M.C. Redmond, D.L. Valentine, and C.M. Reddy. 2012. Oil weathering after the Deepwater Horizon disaster led to the formation of oxygenated residues. Environmental Science & Technology 46:8,799–8,807, https://doi.org/​10.1021/es3015138.
  1. Allan, S.E., B.W. Smith, and K.A. Anderson. 2012. Impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on bioavailable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Gulf of Mexico coastal waters. Environmental Science & Technology 46:2,033−2,039, https://doi.org/​10.1021/es202942q.
  2. Andersson, J.T., and C. Achten. 2015. Time to say goodbye to the 16 EPA PAHs? Toward an up-to-date use of PACs for environmental purposes. Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds 35:330–354, https://doi.org/10.1080/10406638.2014.991042.
  3. Bik, H.M., K.M. Halanych, J. Sharma, and W.K. Thomas. 2012. Dramatic shifts in benthic microbial eukaryote communities following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. PLoS ONE 7(6):e38550, https://doi.org/​10.1371/journal.pone.0038550.
  4. Bolger, M., and C. Carrington. 1999. Estimation of risk associated with consumption of oil-contaminated fish and shellfish by Alaskan subsistence fishermen using a benzo[a]pyrene equivalency approach. Pp. 295–304 in Evaluating and Communicating Subsistence Seafood Safety in a Cross-Cultural Context: Lessons Learned from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. L.J. Field, J.A. Fall, T.S. Nighswander, N. Peacock, and U. Varanasi, eds, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), Pensacola, FL.
  5. Bolger, M., S.H. Henry, and C.D. Carrington. 1996. Hazard and risk assessment of crude oil contaminants in subsistence seafood samples from Prince William Sound. Pp. 837–843 in Proceedings of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Symposium. American Fisheries Society Symposium 18, February 2–5, 1993, Anchorage, AK. S.D. Rice, R.B. Spies, D.A. Wolfe, and B.A. Wright, eds.
  6. Dalyander, P.S., J.W. Long, N.G. Plant, and D.M. Thompson. 2014. Assessing mobility and redistribution patterns of sand and oil agglomerates in the surf zone. Marine Pollution Bulletin 80:200–209, https://doi.org/10.1016/​j.marpolbul.2014.01.004.
  7. Fitzgerald, T.P., and J.M. Gohlke. 2014. Contaminant levels in Gulf of Mexico reef fish after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as measured by a fishermen-led testing program. Environmental Science & Technology 48(3):1,993–2,000, https://doi.org/​10.1021/es4051555.
  8. Gohlke, J.M., D. Doke M. Tipre, M. Leader, and T. Fitzgerald. 2011. A review of seafood safety after the Deepwater Horizon blowout. Environmental Health Perspectives 119(8):1,062–1,069, https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1103507.
  9. Goldstein, B.D., H.J. Osofsky, and M.Y. Lichtveld. 2011. The Gulf oil spill. New England Journal of Medicine 364:1,334–1,348, https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1007197.
  10. Gros, J., C.M. Reddy, C. Aeppli, R.K. Nelson, C.A. Carmichael, and J.S. Arey. 2014. Resolving biodegradation patterns of persistent saturated hydrocarbons in weathered oil samples from the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Environmental Science & Technology 48:1,628–1,637, https://doi.org/10.1021/es4042836.
  11. Hadibarata, T., S. Tachibana, and K. Itoh. 2009. Biodegradation of chrysene, an aromatic hydrocarbon by Polyporus sp. S133 in liquid medium. Journal of Hazardous Materials 164:911–917, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.08.081.
  12. Hagan, C., J. Kaba, B. Wells, S. Dudley, M. Buttler-Hill, D. Wasmund-Nault, and M. Huettel. 2013. Analysis of total petroleum hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of Deepwater Horizon oil buried in Pensacola Beach sands and their changes over time. Paper presented at the 2013 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference, January 21–23, 2013, New Orleans, LA. 
  13. Harvey, R.G. 1991. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Chemistry and Carcinogenicity. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 414 pp.
  14. Hayworth, J.S., and T.P. Clement. 2011. BP’s Operation Deep Clean: Could dilution be the solution to beach pollution? Environmental Science & Technology 45:4,201–4,202, https://doi.org/​10.1021/es201242k.
  15. Hayworth, J.S., T.P. Clement, G.F. John, and F. Yin. 2015. Fate of Deepwater Horizon oil in Alabama’s beach system: Understanding physical evolution processes based on observational data. Marine Pollution Bulletin 90:95–105, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.11.016.
  16. Kane, A. 2015. Five years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Impacts on Gulf communities and seafood. The Conversation, April 20, 2015, http://theconversation.com/five-years-after-the-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-impacts-on-gulf-communities-and-seafood-40138.
  17. Keith, L.H. 2015. The source of US EPA’s sixteen PAH priority pollutants. Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds 35:147–160, https://doi.org/10.1080/​10406638.2014.892886.
  18. Kostka, J.E., O. Prakash, W.A. Overholt, S.J. Green, G. Freyer, A. Canion, J. Delgardio, N. Norton, T.C. Hazen, and M. Huettel. 2011. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and the bacterial community response in Gulf of Mexico beach sands impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 77:7,962–7,974, https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.05402-11.
  19. Lamendella, R., S. Strutt, S. Borglin, R. Chakraborty, N. Tas, O.U. Mason, J. Hultman, E. Prestat, T.C. Hazen, and J.K. Jansson. 2014. Assessments of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impact on Gulf coast microbial communities. Frontiers in Microbiology 5:130, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00130.
  20. Lemelle, K.R., V. Elango, and J.H. Pardue. 2014. Distribution, characterization, and exposure of MC252 oil in the supratidal beach environment. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 33:1,544–1,551, https://doi.org/​10.1002/etc.2599.
  21. Liu, Z.F., J.Q. Liu, Q.Z. Zhu, and W. Wu. 2012. The weathering of oil after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Insights from the chemical composition of the oil from the sea surface, salt marshes and sediments. Environmental Research Letters 7(3):035302, https://doi.org/​10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/035302
  22. MacDonald, D.D. 1994. Approach to the Assessment of Sediment Quality in Florida Coastal Waters. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Tallahassee, FL, http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/quick_topics/publications/pages/default.htm.
  23. McDaniel, L.D., J. Basso, E. Pulster, and J.H. Paul. 2015. Sand patties provide evidence for the presence of Deepwater Horizon oil on the beaches of the West Florida Shelf. Marine Pollution Bulletin 97:67–77, https://doi.org/10.1016/​j.marpolbul.2015.06.032.
  24. McKenna, A.M., K.T. Lemkau, C. Aeppli, C.A. Carmichael, D.L. Valentine, C.M. Reddy, R.K. Nelson, Y. de Corilo, A.G. Marshall, B.M. Ruddy, and R.P. Rodgers. 2013. Expanding the analytical window of oil spill characterization by FT-ICR mass spectrometry: From the reservoir to the beach. Abstract 208, American Chemical Society 245, April 7–11, New Orleans, LA.
  25. Michel, J., E.H. Owens, S. Zengel, A. Graham, Z. Nixon, T. Allard, W. Holton, P.D. Reimer, A. Lamarche, M. White, and others. 2013. Extent and degree of shoreline oiling: Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Gulf of Mexico, USA. PLoS ONE 8(6):e65087, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0065087.
  26. Murawski, S.A., W.T. Hogarth, E.B. Peebles, and L. Barbeiri. 2014. Prevalence of external skin lesions and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in Gulf of Mexico fishes, post-Deepwater Horizon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 143(4):1,084−1,097, https://doi.org/10.1080/00028487.2014.911205.
  27. National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. 2011. Deep Water: The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling. Report to the President. 380 pp., https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-OILCOMMISSION/pdf/GPO-OILCOMMISSION.pdf.
  28. National Ocean Service. 2011. The Gulf of Mexico at a Glance: A Second Glance. US Department of Commerce, Washington, DC, 58 pp.
  29. Nixon, Z., S. Zenge, M. Baker, M. Steinhoff, G. Fricano, S. Rouhani, and J. Michel. 2016. Shoreline oiling from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Marine Pollution Bulletin 107:170–178, https://doi.org/​10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.04.003.
  30. OSAT (Operational Science Advisory Team). 2011. Summary Report for Fate and Effects of Remnant Oil in the Beach Environment. Operational Science Advisory Team, USCG, 36 pp.
  31. Rodriguez-R, L.M., W.A. Overholt, C. Hagan, M. Huettel, J.E. Kostka, and K.T. Konstantinidis. 2015. Microbial community successional patterns in beach sands impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The ISME Journal 9:1,928–1,940, https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2015.5.
  32. Rotkin-Ellman, M., K.K. Wong, and G.M. Solomon. 2012. Seafood contamination after the BP Gulf oil spill and risks to vulnerable populations: A critique of the FDA risk assessment. Environmental Health Perspectives 120:157–161, https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1103695.
  33. Rowland, A.P., D.K. Lindley, G.H. Hall, M.J. Rossall, D.R. Wilson, D.G. Benham, A.F. Harrison, and R.E. Daniels. 2000. Effects of beach sand properties, temperature and rainfall on the degradation rates of oil in buried oil/beach sand mixtures. Environmental Pollution 109:109–118, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(99)00224-9.
  34. Shepard, A.N., J.F. Valentine, C.F. D’Elia, D.W. Yoskowitz, and D.E. Dismukes. 2013. Economic impact of Gulf of Mexico ecosystem goods and services and integration into restoration decision-​making. Gulf of Mexico Science 31:10–27.
  35. Simister, R.L., C.M. Poutasse, A.M. Thurston, J.L. Reeve, M.C. Baker, and H.K. White. 2015. Degradation of oil by fungi isolated from Gulf of Mexico beaches. Marine Pollution Bulletin 100:327–333, https://doi.org/10.1016/​j.marpolbul.2015.08.029.
  36. Snyder, R.A., A. Vestal, C. Welch, G. Barnes, R. Pelot, M. Ederington-Hagy, and F. Hileman. 2014. PAH concentrations in Coquina (Donax spp.) on a sandy beach shoreline impacted by a marine oil spill. Marine Pollution Bulletin 83:87–91, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.04.016.
  37. Tao, Z., S. Bullard, and C. Arias. 2011. High numbers of Vibrio vulnificus in tar balls collected from oiled areas of the North-Central Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Ecohealth 8:507–511, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-011-0720-z.
  38. Turner, R.E., E.B. Overton, B.M. Meyer, M.S. Miles, and L. Hooper-Bui. 2014. Changes in the concentration and relative abundance of alkanes and PAHs from the Deepwater Horizon oiling of coastal marshes. Marine Pollution Bulletin 86:291–297, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.07.003.
  39. US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). 2000. Guidance for Assessing Chemical Contaminant Data for Use in Fish Advisories. Volume 2. Risk Assessment and Fish Consumption Limits, 3rd ed. EPA 823-B-00-008, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 383 pp., https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-06/documents/volume2.pdf.
  40. US FDA (US Food and Drug Administration). 2010. Protocol for Interpretation and Use of Sensory Testing and Analytical Chemistry Results for Re-Opening Oil-Impacted Areas Closed to Seafood Harvesting Due to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. US Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC, http://www.fda.gov/Food/ucm217601.htm.
  41. US FDA. 2014. Assessing the Impact of the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill. http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Emergencies/ucm408352.htm.
  42. Wang, P., and T.M. Roberts. 2013. Distribution of surficial and buried oil contaminants across sandy beaches along NW Florida and Alabama coasts following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Journal of Coastal Research 29:144–155, https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-12-00198.1.
  43. Warnock, A.M., S.C. Hagen, and D.L. Passeri. 2015. Marine tar residues: A review. Water Air and Soil Pollution 226:1–24, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2298-5.
  44. Wickliffe, J., E. Overton, S. Frickel, J. Howard, M. Wilson, B. Simon, S. Echsner, D. Nguyen, D. Gauthe, D. Blake, and others. 2014. Evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using analytical methods, toxicology, and risk assessment research: Seafood safety after a petroleum spill as an example. Environmental Health Perspectives 122:6–9, https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1306724.
  45. Wilson, M.J., S. Frickel, D. Nguyen, T. Bui, S. Echsner, B.R. Simon, J.L. Howard, K. Miller, and J.K. Wickliffe. 2015. A targeted health risk assessment following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in Vietnamese-American shrimp consumers. Environmental Health Perspectives 123:152–159, https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408684.
  46. Wise, J.P. Jr., J.T.F. Wise, C.F. Wise, S.S. Wise, C. Gianios Jr., H. Xie, W.D. Thompson, C. Perkins, C. Falank, and J.P. Wise Sr. 2014. Concentrations of the genotoxic metals, chromium and nickel, in whales, tar balls, oil slicks, and released oil from the Gulf of Mexico in the immediate aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil crisis: Is genotoxic metal exposure part of the Deepwater Horizon legacy? Environmental Science & Technology 48:2,997–3,006, https://doi.org/​10.1021/es405079b.
  47. Xia, K., G. Hagood, C. Childers, J. Atkins, B. Rogers, L. Ware, K. Armbrust, J. Jewell, D. Diaz, N. Gatian, and H. Folmer. 2012. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Mississippi seafood from areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Environmental Science & Technology 46(10):5,310–5,318, https://doi.org/10.1021/es2042433.
  48. Yender, R., J. Michel, and C. Lord. 2002. Managing Seafood Safety after an Oil Spill. Hazardous Materials Response Division, Office of Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, 65 pp.
  49. Yin, F., G.F. John, J.S. Hayworth, and T.P. Clement. 2015. Long-term monitoring data to describe the fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Deepwater Horizon oil submerged off Alabama’s beaches. Science of the Total Environment 508:46–56, https://doi.org/10.1016/​j.scitotenv.2014.10.105.
  50. Ylitalo, G.M., M.M. Krahn, W.W. Dickhoff, J.E. Stein, C.C. Walker, C.L. Lassitter, E.S. Garrett, L.L. Desfosse, K.M. Mitchell, B.T. Noble, and others. 2012. Federal seafood safety response to the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109:20,274–20,279, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1108886109.
Copyright & Usage

This is an open access article made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format as long as users cite the materials appropriately, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate the changes that were made to the original content. Images, animations, videos, or other third-party material used in articles are included in the Creative Commons license unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If the material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission directly from the license holder to reproduce the material.