Prestige Oil Spill Research Articles

Using a classical weight-of-evidence approach for 4-years' monitoring of the impact of an accidental oil spill on sediment quality

In the present report, the successful application of a Weight of evidence approach (WOE) to sediment quality assessment during a four year impact period following an oil spill is discussed. The study assesses the sediment quality on the Galician Coast (NW Spain) which was impacted by an accidental spill associated with the sinking of the tanker Prestige (2002). The assessment is based on three lines of evidence: physicochemical characterization of the sediments; determination of acute toxicity by conducting sediment toxicity tests and benthic alteration including taxonomic identifications along with community descriptive statistics. The data obtained were integrated using a WOE approach by means of two different methodologies: multivariate analysis and ANOVA-based pie charts. Results confirm that PAHs related to the Prestige oil spill are the main contaminant associated with biological effects in the area which has since recovered from the initial acute impact. Also, the WOE allowed the identification of metal contamination not previously described in the area responsible for toxicity in sediments analyzed. In addition, the methodology proposed to link the 3 lines of evidence results shows the use for the first time of an objective indice based on factor analysis which allows pollution of the sediments studied to be qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated while demonstrating the WOE approach to be recommendable in monitoring environmental quality.

Monitoring Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution in the Marine Environment after the Prestige Oil Spill by Means of Seabird Blood Analysis

In this study we tested the use of seabird blood as a bioindicator of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution in the marine environment. Blood cells of breeding yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) were able to track spatial and temporal changes consistent with the massive oil pollution pulse that resulted from the Prestige oil spill. Thus, in 2004, blood samples from yellow-legged gulls breeding in colonies that were in the trajectory of the spill doubled in theirtotal PAH concentrations when compared to samples from unoiled colonies. Furthermore, PAH levels in gulls from an oiled colony decreased by nearly a third in two consecutive breeding seasons (2004 and 2005). Experimental evidence was gathered by means of an oil-ingestion field experiment. The total concentration of PAHs in the blood of gulls given oil supplements was 30% higher compared to controls. This strongly suggested that measures of PAHs in the blood of gulls are sensitive to the ingestion of small quantities of oil. Our study provides evidence that seabirds were exposed to residual Prestige oil 17 months after the spill commenced and gives support to the nondestructive use of seabirds as biomonitors of oil pollution in marine environments.

The Prestige Oil Spill in Galicia: Analysis of Legal Compensation Systems and Economic Assessment of Damages to Commercial Fisheries*

The Prestige Oil Spill in Galicia: Analysis of Legal Compensation Systems and Economic Assessment of Damages to Commercial Fisheries*

A Literature Review on Health Effects of Exposure to Oil Spill

Our objective is to review and summarize the previous studies on the health effects of exposure to oil spills in order to make suggestions for mid- and long-term study plans regarding the health effects of the Hebei Spirit oil spill occurred in Korea. We searched PubMed to systemically retrieve reports on the human health effects related to oil spill accidents. The papers' reference lists and reviews on the topic were searched as well. We found 24 articles that examined seven oil spill accidents worldwide over the period from 1989 to August 2008, including the Exxon Valdes, Braer, Sea Empress, Erika, Nakhodka, Prestige and Tasman Spirit oil spills. Most of the studies applied cross-sectional and short-term follow-up study designs. The exposure level was measured by assessing the place of residence, using a questionnaire and environmental and personal monitoring. Studies on the acute or immediate health effects mainly focused on the subjective physical symptoms related to clean-up work or residential exposure. Late or mid-term follow-up studies were performed to investigate a range of health effects such as pulmonary function and endocrine, immunologic and genetic toxicity. The economic and social impact of the accidents resulted in the socio-psychological exposure and the psychosocial health effects. Studies of the health effects of exposure to oil spills should consider a range of health outcomes, including the physical and psychological effects, and the studies should be extended for a considerable period of time to study the long-term chronic health effects.

Genetic impact of the Prestige oil spill in wild populations of a poor dispersal marine snail from intertidal rocky shores

In November 2002, the sinking of the Prestige cargo ship produced an oil spill of 60,000 tons that affected many areas along the Galician coast (in the northwest of Spain). In a number of rocky shore sites, most organisms (particularly marine mollusks) were nearly extinct at a local scale. We tested whether the local bottleneck/extinction that occurred in affected localities caused any detectable reduction of the genetic diversity in the marine snail Littorina saxatilis, an ovoviviparous rocky shore model species characterized by a low dispersal ability, high population density, and wide distribution range. We compared the level of genetic variation and population differentiation between affected (polluted) and control sites located in seven geographical areas (three sites per area, one impacted and two controls, and two replicates per site) one and a half years after the spill. The analysis included molecular marker variation (microsatellite and AFLP loci) and quantitative trait genetic variation for shell variables in embryos extracted from pregnant females. Our results indicate that the affected populations did not show a significant overall reduction in genetic diversity when compared to the controls, suggesting that the species is highly resistant to losing genetic variability as a consequence of a local short-term pollution process in spite of its low dispersal ability and direct development. However, some genetic effects were detected in the polluted populations, particularly for quantitative shell traits and AFLPs, consistent with local adaptations resulting from the fuel contamination.

Use of a probabilistic particle tracking model to simulate the Prestige oil spill

A probabilistic particle tracking model is used to simulate the oil dispersion after the Prestige wreckage. This oil spill constitutes a suitable benchmark to analyze the capabilities of a probabilistic model, since the time elapsed from wreckage to oil landing (12 days) is much longer than the reliability time associated with forecast winds, usually on the order of 3–4 days. The particle model can be run in two different modes: real time mode (when existing reliable wind fields for the event under scope) and in probabilistic mode (in absence of reliable wind fields but with historical fields corresponding to a similar period). The validity of the particle model is first evaluated in a hindcast way, running the Prestige case with the wind fields corresponding to the period November 19 to November 30, 2002, which were not available at the moment of the wreckage. Calculations show the accuracy of the model to provide the right impact point and timing. The probabilistic model is then used to simulate the same event by means of historical data. The region where the oil landed is shown to be the area with the highest probability to be impacted.

The Prestige oil spill: bacterial community dynamics during a field biostimulation assay

A field bioremediation assay using the oleophilic fertilizer S200 was carried out 12 months after the Prestige heavy fuel-oil spill on a beach on the Cantabrian coast (north Spain). This assay showed that S200-enhanced oil degradation, particularly of high-molecular-weight n-alkanes and alkylated PAHs, suggesting an increase in the microbial bioavailability of these compounds. The bacterial community structure was determined by cultivation-independent analysis of polymerase chain reaction-amplified 16S rDNA by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Bacterial community was mainly composed of alpha-Proteobacteria (Rhodobacteriaceae and Sphingomonadaceae). Representatives of gamma-Proteobacteria (Chromatiales, Moraxellaceae, and Halomonadaceae), Bacteroidetes (Flavobacteriaceae), and Actinobacteria group (Nocardiaceae and Corynebacteriaceae) were also found. The addition of the fertilizer led to the appearance of the bacterium Mesonia algae in the early stages, with a narrow range of growth substrates, which has been associated with the common alga Achrosiphonia sonderi. The presence of Mesonia algae may be attributable to the response of the microbial community to the addition of N and P rather than indicating a role in the biodegradation process. The Rhodococcus group appeared in both assay plots, especially at the end of the experiment. It was also found at another site on the Galician coast that had been affected by the same spill. This genus has been associated with the degradation of n-alkanes up to C(36). Taking into account the high content of heavy alkanes in the Prestige fuel, these microorganisms could play a significant role in the degradation of such fuel. A similar bacterial community structure was observed at another site that showed a similar degree of fuel weathering.

After the Prestige oil spill modifications in NO production and other parameters related to the immune response were detected in hemocytes of Mytilus galloprovincialis

In marine mollusks, many physiologic functions are regulated seasonally depending on such factors as the reproductive cycle or the presence of food. The synthesis of nitric oxide by hemocytes of Mytilus galloprovincialis is among the multiple physiologic actions in the immune response, and it is also affected by season. The maximal basal production of NO by hemocytes of M. galloprovincialis was detected in summer, whereas the minimum values were detected in winter. In winter, the presence of IL-2 induced an increase in NO production that was not detected in summer. Three months after the Prestige oil spill (November 2002), basal NO production by the hemocytes of mussels in the Galician coast showed a progressive decrease and stopping, both in summer and in winter. The characteristic increase of NO synthesis induced by IL-2 in winter also disappeared all through 2003 and 2004. The two different nitric oxide synthases previously identified by immunoblotting between 1999 and 2002 were undetectable in both 2003 and 2004. When comparing the data obtained during 2003 and 2004 to those obtained in previous years, an increase in the proportion of SH cells was detected. Also, these cells showed a higher sensitivity to apoptosis- and necrosis-inducing agents than in earlier years.

Health-related quality of life and mental health in the medium-term aftermath of the Prestige oil spill in Galiza (Spain): a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIn 2002 the oil-tanker Prestige sank off the Galician coast. This study analyzes the effect of this accident on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental health in the affected population.MethodsUsing random sampling stratified by age and sex, 2700 residents were selected from 7 coastal and 7 inland Galician towns. Two exposure criteria were considered: a) residential exposure, i.e., coast versus interior; and b) individual exposure-unaffected, slightly affected, or seriously affected-according to degree of personal affectation. SF-36, GHQ-28, HADS and GADS questionnaires were used to assess HRQoL and mental health. Association of exposure with suboptimal scores was summarized using adjusted odds ratios (OR) obtained from logistic regression.ResultsFor residential exposure, the SF-36 showed coastal residents as having a lower likelihood of registering suboptimal HRQoL values in physical functioning (OR:0.69; 95%CI:0.54–0.89) and bodily pain (OR:0.74; 95%CI:0.62–0.91), and a higher frequency of suboptimal scores in mental health (OR:1.28; 95%CI:1.02–1.58). None of the dimensions of the other questionnaires displayed statistically significant differences.For individual exposure, no substantial differences were observed, though the SF-36 physical functioning dimension rose (showed better scores) with level of exposure (91.51 unaffected, 93.86 slightly affected, 95.28 seriously affected, p < 0.001).ConclusionAlmost one and a half years after the accident, worse HRQoL and mental health levels were not in evidence among subjects exposed to the oil-spill. Nevertheless, some of the scales suggest the possibility of slight impact on the mental health of residents in the affected areas.

Slick PR? The Media Politics of the Prestige Oil Spill

This article examines the different ways in which Spanish, French, and U.K. newspapers framed the Prestige oil spill. In contrast to earlier large oil spills such as the Torrey Canyon, the Internet had a significant influence upon mainstream news coverage and the coordination of protest activities. The findings suggest that the local Spanish press provided the most sustained coverage, and geographic propinquity to the accident was a good predictor of the frequency and intensity of reporting. The regional Spanish press focused upon implications for the local economy rather than the effects on wildlife. In contrast, the sampled national newspapers in Spain, France, and the United Kingdom framed the oil spill in terms of its ecological impacts and the political controversy regarding who was to blame. The implications of these differences are discussed and considered in relation to the globalization of news and the changing politics of risk.

ThePrestigeOil Spill in Cantabria (Bay of Biscay). Part II. Environmental Assessment and Monitoring of Coastal Ecosystems

Abstract Assessment and monitoring activities constituted two main tasks of the emergency response system implemented by the regional government of Cantabria (north Spain) after the Prestige oil spill. The assessment covered four types of environmental units: estuaries, rocky shores, sand beaches, and subtidal areas, up to a 300-m depth. Monitoring procedures included the chemical quantification of total hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water, sediments, and benthic organisms (clams and goose barnacles), and the analysis of structural changes in intertidal communities. Disturbance of oil cover was significantly more extensive in coastal areas, rather than in estuarine areas, where 50,000 m2 were directly covered by fuel. Otherwise, the presence of oil in subtidal areas was a rare event. Results from the bioeffects analyses were in agreement with the overall impact assessments, pointing to the coastal habitats as the areas where the bioavailability of toxic components from the Prestige ...

The profitability of the artisanal galician fleet

Abstract A large artisanal fleet made up of small-sized vessels fishes along the Galician coastline using passive gear and traps. The aim of this study is to analyse the economic profitability of this fleet in the last 5 years by looking at the average rate of return on the vessel and the investment payback period. The results show a slight drop in the return per vessel half-way through the period studied caused by the effects of the Prestige oil spill, to quickly recover over the following 2 years. Considerably high profitability rates from fishing activity were observed, especially in the second half of the period, and slightly lower payback periods, in general, than the average life of a standard fleet vessel.

Effects of acute exposure to heavy fuel oil from the Prestige spill on a seabird

Large quantities of petroleum products are released into the marine environment as result of tanker wrecks. Such catastrophic events have a dramatic impact on marine ecosystems, affecting a broad range of species. Seabirds are placed at the uppermost trophic level of the marine food chain. Therefore, important toxic effects are expected in these organisms. The recent Prestige oil spill gave the opportunity to test this. A previous study reported that yellow-legged gulls ( Larus michahellis) breeding in the oiled area (17 months after the spill) showed differences both in plasma biochemistry and in the total circulating levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (TPAHs) in blood regard to gulls sampled in clean areas. In the present study, wild yellow-legged gulls were fed with heavy fuel oil from the Prestige oil spill (P-gulls) and compared with control gulls (C-gulls) fed only with the vehicle (vegetable oil). Consistent with the cited previous findings, gulls fed with fuel oil showed reduced glucose and inorganic phosphorus levels in plasma, as well as a trend to significantly reduced creatinine values. In addition, glucose concentration was negatively related to TPAH levels. Males but not females fed with fuel oil showed higher plasma activity of asparatate aminotransferase (AST) than controls. With regard to plasma activity of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), the results were opposite to the previous study. The GGT activity increased in C-females, apparently to meet with increased liver metabolism due to egg laying demands, but not in P-females. Differences to the previous study possibly reflect different adaptive responses of these enzymes to an acute short-term exposure to heavy fuel oil. Since the yellow-legged gull belongs to a complex of species widely distributed throughout the Northern hemisphere, the results as a whole might provide a tool for future evaluations of short- and long-term effects of oil spills on seabirds. Decreased glucose and inorganic phosphorus levels in plasma are expected in both short- and long-lasting exposures to fuel oil, whereas responses of AST and GGT enzymes would depend on both the sex of individuals and the temporal pattern of exposure.

Composting and vermicomposting experiences in the treatment and bioconversion of asphaltens from the Prestige oil spill

This work illustrates the effectiveness of composting and vermicomposting in degrading fuel-in-water emulsions from oil spills ( chapapote), and the isolation of potentially useful microorganisms for its biodegradation. Firstly, an alternative to the biodegradation of asphaltens from the Prestige oil spill (still present in some chapapote rafts in the Cantabrian coast) by means of the application of composting techniques to a microbial partnership acclimated to fuel-oil is offered. Our aim is that, after a relatively short period of time, the microorganisms can obtain its source of carbon and energy from asphaltens. The addition of metabolic co-substrates, like cow bed and potato peelings, allows the fragmentation of complex compounds into smaller structures, susceptible to further degradation. Afterwards, a maturation of the compost by means of a treatment with earthworms ( Eisenia foetida) is necessary. Thus, through the vermicomposting it will be possible to obtain a valued product, useful in the processes of ground amendment, with little presence of asphaltens and occluded polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, rich in humus, and with an important bacterial flora of Bacillus genera, so that it can be typical of co-activators and accelerating products in composting processes. Along with this article, we show some parameters that control the evolution of the compost products (evolved gases, acidity, temperature and humidity); the chemical and microbiological analytical results; and the germination assays of vermicomposting. Results reveal that by using microorganisms living in either earthworm intestines ( Stenotrophomonas maltophilia) or vermiculture substrates ( Scedosporium apiospermium), it is possible to degrade and to eliminate the polycyclic asphaltens into CO 2 and H 2O, helped by evaporation, dissolution and/or photo-oxidation processes. The obtained end product has contents of interesting vegetal nutrients and, mainly, it displays very high germination indices.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organic matter quality and meiofauna in Galician sandy beaches, 6 months after the Prestige oil-spill

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Chemical fingerprinting of petroleum biomarkers in biota samples using retention-time locking chromatography and multivariate analysis

This work was conducted to study a new separation and evaluation approach for the chemical fingerprinting of petroleum biomarkers in biota samples. The final aim of this work was to study the correlation between the observed effects in the shore habitats (mussels and limpets) and one pollution source: the oil spill of the Prestige tanker. The method combined a clean-up step of the biota extracts (mussels and limpets), the retention-time locking of the gas chromatographic set up, and the multivariate data analysis of the chromatograms. For clean-up, solid-phase extraction and gel permeation chromatography were compared, and 5g Florisil cartridges assured the lack of interfering compounds in the last extracts. In order to assure reproducible retention times and to avoid the realignment of the chromatograms, the retention-time locking feature of our gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) set up was used. Finally, in the case of multivariate analysis, the GC-MS chromatograms were treated, essentially by derivatization and by normalization, and all the chromatograms at m/z 191 (terpenes), m/z 217-218 (steranes and diasteranes) and m/z 231 (triaromatic steranes) were treated by means of principal component analysis. Furthermore, slightly different four oil samples from the Prestige oil spill were analyzed following the Nordtest method, and the GC-MS chromatograms were considered as the reference chemical fingerprints of the sources. In this sense, the correlation between the studied samples, including sediments and biota samples, and the source candidate was completed by means of a supervised pattern recognition method. As a result, the method proposed in this work was useful to identify the Prestige oil spill as the source of many of the analyzed samples.

Qualitative Understanding of the Mechanism of Oil Mineral Interaction as Potential Oil Spill Countermeasure—A Review

Industries today are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the stringent environmental laws. Besides, the resources, both capital and human, are stretched to the limit. The oil industries are seeking enhanced opportunities by merging with one another to cut costs and increase production. Accidental spilling of crude oil often happens in the course of exploration and transportation to consumption. Cleaning the spilled oil is a costly problem on a global scale. The Prestige oil spill in 2002 along the coast of Spain alone was valued at 9 billion dollars, with several occurring per year. Many techniques and methods of oil spill cleanup exist, but it is not clear which one functions better. The aim of this article is to review the emerging, and more economic method, of oil spill remediation—oil-mineral aggregation, (OMA). This article also suggests future areas to better improve its potential as a spill countermeasure.

Sublethal toxicity of the Prestige oil spill on yellow-legged gulls

The Prestige oil spill in November 2002 is considered the biggest large-scale catastrophe of its type in Europe, thousands of seabirds dying in the subsequent months. Here, the total concentration of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (TPAH) was measured in the blood cell fraction of adult and chick yellow-legged gulls ( Larus michahellis) from unoiled and oiled coastal areas in North Western Spain. In addition, hematocrit, plasma metabolites, electrolytes and enzymes, as well as body mass were determined in the same individuals. Our results strongly suggest the presence of health damages of sublethal nature in adult gulls breeding in oiled colonies 17 months after the Prestige oil spill. This is supported by the following evidences: (1) gulls sampled in unoiled and oiled colonies differed in blood TPAH levels, (2) gulls sampled in unoiled and oiled colonies differed in several blood parameters indicative of physiological disorders, and (3) TPAH in blood was significantly related to several of these parameters. Differences in the level of asparatate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), total protein, glucose and inorganic phosphorus suggest damages on some vital organs (i.e. liver and kidney) in adult birds from oiled areas. Meanwhile, chicks presented weaker effects than adults, showing only between-area differences in hematocrit. Since TPAH levels in blood did not differ between both age-groups, the stronger effects on adults should be due to their longer exposure to these pollutants and/or to severe exposure in the months following the spill. The presence of PAHs in chicks indicates that these pollutants were incorporated into the food chain because nestlings would have been only exposed to contaminated organisms in the diet (e.g. fishes and crustaceans). Our findings support the view that PAHs may deeply alter the physiology of seabirds, and emphasize the necessity of quantifying the circulating levels of these compounds in order to evaluate the sublethal effects associated to large oil spills.

Variability in biochemical components of the mussel ( Mytilus galloprovincialis) cultured after Prestige oil spill

The biochemical composition (proteins, carbohydrates, glycogen, total lipids and lipid classes) of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was investigated during an experimental culture using mussel seed from areas with different degree of exposure to the Prestige oil spill. The aim of the study was to identify alterations in the biochemical composition of mussel seed from natural populations commonly used in Galicia for mussel raft culture that might be linked to previous oil exposure. We have selected three mussel seed populations from Pindo, Miranda and Redes, that were characterised in a previous study according to the oil exposure three months after the spill. These populations were transplanted to a raft culture system in the Ría de Ares-Betanzos where our experimental culture followed standard commercial techniques from March 2003 to February 2004. Mussels from Pindo (characterised as the most affected area by the oil spill) showed marked differences in lipid composition with regard to other populations in the content of triacylglycerols, ( P < 0.001), free fatty acids ( P < 0.001) and phospholipids ( P < 0.05) at the onset of the culture. Although these differences in lipid composition might reflect their previous exposition to hydrocarbons, this pattern did not last longer most likely due to depuration of hydrocarbons stored in the tissues or by the development of certain tolerance to PAHs. These significant differences were not detected between Miranda (designed as hardly affected area) and Redes (designed as reference area) which may reflect that Miranda mussels were not affected or only hardly affected by the spill. With the exception of the onset of the culture, biochemical composition showed similar patterns in all mussel populations. Then, the fact of being cultured in a common environment seemed to be more responsible for the long-term variability in the energetic reserve than the origin of the populations or their previous biochemical status.

Use of an environmental specimen bank for evaluating the impact of the Prestige oil spill on the levels of trace elements in two species of Fucus on the coast of Galicia (NW Spain).

In the present study we investigated possible contamination by trace elements due to the oil slick caused by the shipwreck of the Prestige oil tanker, in two species of brown macroalgae (Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus ceranoides) collected from the coastal area most severely affected by the spill (Galicia, NW Spain). The oil slick apparently did not cause significant increases in the concentrations of the trace elements studied, except vanadium. It appears that the magnitude of terrestrial inputs to coastal waters is sufficiently high to mask the inputs of trace elements from the fuel. The observed exception of V suggests that bioaccumulation of this element by the two species of Fucus may be used to indicate exposure to petrochemical products similar to the Prestige fuel. The findings of the study are another example of the importance of the existence of Environmental Specimen Banks for studies of this type.