Kinetics Of Dissipation And Biodegradation Of Crude Oil In Alaska's Cook Inlet

Abstract

Abstract The results of a study to quantitatively define the magnitude of oil pollution problems in Alaska's Cook Inlet are reported. Physical dissipation and biodegration rates were determined and combined with estimates of hydrocarbon input rates to assess the fate of oil in Cook Inlet. The question of accumulation of crude oil components within the Inlet is considered from the above results and by direct analysis. Results indicate that hydrocarbon accumulation is less than our present limits of detection. Cook Inlet flushing is 90 per cent complete in 10 months. Experimental results show that unsupplemented Cook Inlet water effectively degrades Cook Inlet crude, that this biodegradation is essentially complete in the order of a few months, and that the biodegration capacity of Cook Inlet is large. Thus biodegration is more important than physical flushing in removing hydrocarbon pollutants from Cook Inlet. The methods and results are discussed in terms of their applicability to other areas.