Lab Science News

by Alyson Fortune and Nicole Pannone

Ambient air monitoring is a priority in the ongoing efforts to contain and manage the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico.

The following provides information about the kinds of airborne contaminants that are currently being monitored in the Gulf, how they are collected and how they are analyzed. For a given project, a suitable sampling plan – developed by environmental or industrial hygiene professionals – will determine which methods are most applicable to the project objectives.

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By Jeff Christian, Kelso, WA, updated July 2, 2010

General Discussion:

The analysis of various sample matrices (seawater, sediment, tissue) to determine concentrations of Corexit dispersants used in the Gulf spill requires the use of one or more of the components in the dispersant as a tracer. The primary active ingredient (i.e. the primary surfactant) in the Corexit products is Dioctyl Sulfosuccinate Sodium Salt (DOSS). The other primary ingredients function as carriers until the dispersant is applied. At that point, the lighter fractions evaporate and the water soluble component(s) dissolve in the seawater and rapidly dissipate.

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