Spatial distribution and mass transport of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in surface water: A statewide evaluation of PFAS occurrence and fate in Alabama.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been previously detected near suspected sources in Alabama, but the overall extent of contamination across the state is unknown. This study evaluated the spatial distribution of 17 PFAS within the ten major river basins in Alabama and provided insights into their transport and fate through a mass flux analysis. Six PFAS were identified in 65 out of the 74 riverine samples, with mean ∑PFAS levels of 35.

Enhanced effectiveness of oil dispersants in destabilizing water-in-oil emulsions.

Oil impacting the northern Gulf of Mexico shoreline from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident was predominantly in the form of water-in-oil emulsions (WOE), a chemically weathered, highly viscous, neutrally buoyant material. Once formed, WOE are extremely difficult to destabilize. Commercially-available oil dispersants are largely ineffective de-emulsifiers as a result of the inability of dispersant surfactants to displace asphaltenes stabilizing the oil-water interface.

A rapid UHPLC-MS/MS method for quantitation of phytoestrogens and the distribution of enterolactone in an Alabama estuary.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are natural or synthetic compounds that can interfere with the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife. EDCs can pass through wastewater treatment systems, or run off from urban areas or agricultural operations, into natural water bodies, exposing resident and migratory organisms to complex EDC mixtures. Some phytoestrogenic polyphenolics (PEPP) are known or suspected EDCs; however, their contribution to total EDC burden in natural surface water systems is largely unknown.

A rapid UHPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantitation of 23 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in estuarine water.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a large group of synthetic organic compounds which, as a result of their unique chemical properties, render them extremely recalcitrant to environmental degradation. Research concerning the environmental, ecological, and human health effects of PFAS has focused on long aliphatic chain (> C7) compounds having no ether bonds. For new, less studied, or previously unknown PFAS (≤ C7 with ether bonds), there is little to no information about their environmental behavior, transport, fate, exposure, and toxicological effects.

An ultrahigh-performance chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry quantitative method for trace analysis of potential endocrine disrupting steroid hormones in estuarine sediments.

Rationale: Estuaries are dynamic ecosystems, providing vital habitat for unique organisms of great ecological and commercial importance. The influx of natural and synthetic steroid hormones into estuaries poses risks to these organisms and to broader ecosystem health. However, detecting these trace level pollutants in estuarine water and sediment requires improved analytical techniques.

Correction: a tale of two recent spills-comparison of 2014 Galveston Bay and 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Residues.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

A tale of two recent spills--comparison of 2014 Galveston Bay and 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill residues.

Managing oil spill residues washing onto sandy beaches is a common worldwide environmental problem. In this study, we have analyzed the first-arrival oil spill residues collected from two Gulf of Mexico (GOM) beach systems following two recent oil spills: the 2014 Galveston Bay (GB) oil spill, and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. This is the first study to provide field observations and chemical characterization data for the 2014 GB oil spill.

Fate of Deepwater Horizon oil in Alabama's beach system: understanding physical evolution processes based on observational data.

The impact of MC252 oil on northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) beaches from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) catastrophe was extensive along Alabama's beaches. While considerable amount of cleanup has occurred along these beaches, as of August 2014, DWH oil spill residues continue to be found as surface residual balls (SRBs), and also occasionally as submerged oil mats (SOMs). Four years of field observations informing the fate and transport of DWH SRBs in Alabama's beach system are presented here, along with a conceptual framework for describing their physical evolution processes.

Long-term monitoring data to describe the fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Deepwater Horizon oil submerged off Alabama's beaches.

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) catastrophe had considerable impact on the ∼ 50 km long sandy beach system located along the Alabama shoreline. We present a four-year dataset to characterize the temporal evolution of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their alkylated homologs trapped in the residual oil buried along the shoreline. Field samples analyzed include the first arrival oil collected from Perdido Bay, Alabama in June 2010, and multiple oil spill samples collected until August 2014.

Evaluation of differential cytotoxic effects of the oil spill dispersant Corexit 9500.

Aims: The British Petroleum (BP) oil spill has raised several ecological and health concerns. As the first response, BP used a chemical dispersant, Corexit-9500, to disperse the crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico to limit shoreline contamination problems. Nevertheless, portions of this oil/Corexit mixture reached the shoreline and still remain in various Gulf shore environments.

Provenance of Corexit-related chemical constituents found in nearshore and inland Gulf Coast waters.

The dispersants Corexit 9527 and Corexit 9500 were extensively used during the response to the Deepwater Horizon accident in 2010. In addition to the monitoring programs established by federal and state governments, local communities also conducted studies to determine if chemical constituents from these dispersants impacted nearshore and inland waters. One community (the City of Orange Beach, Alabama) collected water samples between September, 2010 and January, 2011, and found the dispersant-related chemicals propylene glycol, 2-butoxyethanol, and dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate at nearshore and inland water sampling sites.