EOS - Environment & Oil Spill Response. An analytic tool for environmental assessments to support oil spill response planning: Framework, principles, and proof-of-concept by an Arctic example.

The Environment & Oil Spill Response tool (EOS), supports oil spill response planning and decision making. This tool is developed on a research basis, and is an index based, generic and open-source analytic tool, which environmentally can optimise the choice of oil spill response methods for a given spill situation and for a given sea area with respect to environment and nature. The tool is not linked to a particular oil spill simulation model, although it is recommended using oil spill simulation models to have detailed data available for the analysis.

PAHs in high Arctic copepods Calanus hyperboreus following exposure of residues from in situ burning of oil spill.

In situ burning of marine oil spills reduces the total amount of oil in the environment, but a negative side effect may be the generation of environmentally hazardous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that may pose a risk for bioaccumulation, particularly in organisms having a high lipid content. In this study uptake of PAHs from oil and burn residue were examined in the high arctic copepod Calanus hyperboreus. A major part of the low ring number petrogenic PAHs in the oil was removed during burning and relative higher concentrations of pyrogenic high ring number PAHs was found in the burn residue.

Assessment of exposure to perfluorinated industrial substances and risk of immune suppression in Greenland and its global context: a mixed-methods study.

Background: Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are ubiquitous global contaminants that do not readily biodegrade and are therefore routinely found worldwide in wildlife, humans, and the environment. There is a paucity of global assessments to understand regional and continental differences in exposure to PFASs and the associated health risks, including those for Indigenous Arctic communities who consume high trophic marine diets. We aimed to estimate the long-term exposure of dietary PFASs from consumption of polar bear and ringed seal meat and establish its association with blood serum concentrations of PFASs in Inuit in Ittoqoortoormiit (Scoresby Sound), East Greenland.

EU need to protect its environment from toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

The Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs) of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands submitted a proposal to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) in February 2023 calling for a ban in the use of toxic industrial chemicals per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals are highly toxic causing elevated cholesterol, immune suppression, reproductive failure, cancer and neuro-endocrine disruption in humans and wildlife being a significant threat to biodiversity and human health. The main reason for the submitted proposal is recent findings of significant flaws in the transition to PFAS replacements that is leading to a widespread pollution.

Effects of chemical dispersants on feathers from Arctic seabirds.

Chemical dispersion is an oil spill response strategy where dispersants are sprayed onto the oil slick to enhance oil dispersion into the water. However, accidental application could expose seabirds to dispersants, thereby negatively affecting their plumage. To understand the possible impacts on seabirds, feathers from common eider (Somateria mollissima) and thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia) were exposed to different dosages of the dispersant Dasic Slickgone NS.

Background Po activity concentrations in Greenland marine biota and dose assessment.

Polonium-210 (Po) is a radionuclide sentinel as it bioaccumulates in marine organisms, thereby being the main contributor to committed dietary doses in seafood consumers. Although seafood and marine mammals are an important part of the traditional Inuit diet, there is a general lack of information on the Po concentrations in the Greenlandic marine food chain leading to the human consumer. Here, we determine background Po concentrations in edible parts of different marine organisms from Greenland and provide a dose assessment.

Coastline in-situ burning of oil spills in the Arctic. Studies of the environmental impacts on the littoral zone community.

In-situ burning (ISB) has been an oil combat technique studied since the 1950s. However, burning of the oil on the sea surface along the coastline, coastline ISB (cISB), is novel and was tested for the first time in the Arctic along a rocky coast in the summer 2017. A light crude oil was burned and effects of the cISB operation on the littoral zone communities investigated.

Comparative toxicity assessment of in situ burn residues to initial and dispersed heavy fuel oil using zebrafish embryos as test organisms.

In situ burning (ISB) is discussed to be one of the most suitable response strategies to combat oil spills in extreme conditions. After burning, a highly viscous and sticky residue is left and may over time pose a risk of exposing aquatic biota to toxic oil compounds. Scientific information about the impact of burn residues on the environment is scarce.

Smooth or smothering? The self-cleaning potential and photosynthetic effects of oil spill on arctic macro-algae Fucus distichus.

Due to increased sea transport and offshore gas and oil exploration, the Arctic is facing an unprecedented risk of marine oil spills. Although beached oil spills can lead to acute and chronic impacts on intertidal ecosystems, the effects of oil spills on macro-algae in Arctic ecosystems is lacking. Here, we assessed the effect and response of the tidal macro-algae Fucus distichus to oiling, i.

Biodegradation, Photo-oxidation, and Dissolution of Petroleum Compounds in an Arctic Fjord during Summer.

Increased economic activity in the Arctic may increase the risk of oil spills. Yet, little is known about the degradation of oil spills by solar radiation and the impact of nutrient limitation on oil biodegradation under Arctic conditions. We deployed adsorbents coated with thin oil films for up to 4 months in a fjord in SW Greenland to simulate and investigate in situ biodegradation and photo-oxidation of dispersed oil droplets.

Effects of water accommodated fraction of physically and chemically dispersed heavy fuel oil on beach spawning capelin (Mallotus villosus).

Due to a northward shift in off-shore activities, including increased shipping traffic and oil and gas exploration there is a growing focus on the potential effects of oil pollution on Arctic marine ecosystems. Capelin (Mallotus villosus) is a small fish and a member of the smelt family, and is a key species in the marine food chain. Capelin are seasonally abundant in the Northern Atlantic and in coastal Arctic waters, e.

Acute oil exposure reduces physiological process rates in Arctic phyto- and zooplankton.

Arctic shipping and oil exploration are expected to increase, as sea ice extent is reduced. This enhances the risk for accidental oil spills throughout the Arctic, which emphasises the need to quantify potential consequences to the marine ecosystem and to evaluate risk and choose appropriate remediation methods. This study investigated the sensitivity of Arctic marine plankton to the water accommodated fraction (WAF) of heavy fuel oil.

Biodegradation of marine oil spills in the Arctic with a Greenland perspective.

New economic developments in the Arctic, such as shipping and oil exploitation, bring along unprecedented risks of marine oil spills. Microorganisms have played a central role in degrading and reducing the impact of the spilled oil during past oil disasters. However, in the Arctic, and in particular in its pristine areas, the self-cleaning capacity and biodegradation potential of the natural microbial communities have yet to be uncovered.

Immunologic, reproductive, and carcinogenic risk assessment from POP exposure in East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) during 1983-2013.

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are among the world's highest trophic level marine predators and as such have some of the highest tissue concentrations of organohalogen contaminants (OHCs) among Arctic biota. In this paper we present the results of a three decade (1983-2013) risk assessment of OHC exposure and effects on reproduction, immunity, and cancer (genotoxicity) in polar bears from Central East Greenland. Risk of adverse effects are evaluated using a risk quotient (RQ) approach with derivation from measured OHC concentrations in polar bear tissue and critical body residues (CBR) extrapolated for polar bears using physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modelling (PBPK).

Comparison of heavy metals, parasites and histopathology in sculpins (Myoxocephalus spp.) from two sites at a lead-zinc mine in North East Greenland.

The former lead-zinc mine at Mestersvig, Greenland, continues to contaminate the surrounding environment despite its operations ceasing over 50 years ago. Elevated concentrations of heavy metals are found in water, sediment and biota in the terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments. To shed light on the present contamination and its potential effects on local fish we investigated gill and liver histology of sculpins (Myoxocephalus spp.

A veterinary perspective on One Health in the Arctic.

Exposure to long-range transported industrial chemicals, climate change and diseases is posing a risk to the overall health and populations of Arctic wildlife. Since local communities are relying on the same marine food web as marine mammals in the Arctic, it requires a One Health approach to understand the holistic ecosystem health including that of humans. Here we collect and identify gaps in the current knowledge of health in the Arctic and present the veterinary perspective of One Health and ecosystem dynamics.

Bioaccumulation of oil compounds in the high-Arctic copepod Calanus hyperboreus.

Oil and gas exploration in the Arctic will increase the risk for accidental oil spills and thereby have a potential impact on the ecosystem and the organisms inhabiting these areas. Lipid rich copepods are an important food source for higher trophic levels in Arctic marine ecosystems. However, high lipid content and a slower metabolism increase the risk for bioaccumulation in Arctic species.

Metal residues, histopathology and presence of parasites in the liver and gills of fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis) and shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius) near a former lead-zinc mine in East Greenland.

Fourhorn sculpins (Myoxocephalus quadricornis) and shorthorn sculpins (Myoxocephalus scorpius) have been considered suitable local bioindicators for environmental monitoring studies in the Arctic. Because these species share many characteristics, data from the two species have previously been pooled when assessing marine metal contamination. A chemical and histological study was conducted on fourhorn and shorthorn sculpins collected around a contaminated lead-zinc mine at East Greenland to investigate whether there were any differences in the residues of metals, histopathology and parasites in liver and gills between the two sculpin species.

Effects of oil and oil burn residues on seabird feathers.

It is well known, that in case of oil spill, seabirds are among the groups of animals most vulnerable. Even small amounts of oil can have lethal effects by destroying the waterproofing of their plumage, leading to loss of insulation and buoyancy. In the Arctic these impacts are intensified.

Development and testing of a prototype tool for integrated assessment of chemical status in marine environments.

We report the development and application of a prototype tool for integrated assessment of chemical status in aquatic environments based on substance- and matrix-specific environmental assessment criteria (thresholds). The Chemical Status Assessment Tool (CHASE) integrates data on hazardous substances in water, sediments and biota as well as bio-effect indicators and is based on a substance- or bio-effect-specific calculation of a 'contamination ratio' being the ratio between an observed concentration and a threshold value. Values <1.

Risk evaluation of the Arctic environmental POP exposure based on critical body residue and critical daily dose using captive Greenland sledge dogs (Canis familiaris) as surrogate species.

The risk from POP (persistent organic pollutant) exposure and subsequent reproductive, immunotoxic and liver histopathological effects was evaluated in a classical parallel trial on Greenland sledge dogs (Canis familiaris) fed contaminated minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) blubber. First the critical body residues (CBRs) were estimated using the physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for seven POP compounds based on rat critical daily doses (CDDs). These were then compared with the actual daily oral POP doses (DD) and body residues (BR) in the sledge dogs by calculating risk quotients (RQDD: DD/CDD; RQBR: BR/CBR; ≥1 indicates risk).

Modeling Population-Level Consequences of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Exposure in East Greenland Polar Bears.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can cause endocrine disruption, cancer, immunosuppression, or reproductive failure in animals. We used an individual-based model to explore whether and how PCB-associated reproductive failure could affect the dynamics of a hypothetical polar bear (Ursus maritimus) population exposed to PCBs to the same degree as the East Greenland subpopulation. Dose-response data from experimental studies on a surrogate species, the mink (Mustela vision), were used in the absence of similar data for polar bears.

Ecotoxicological investigation of the effect of accumulation of PAH and possible impact of dispersant in resting high arctic copepod Calanus hyperboreus.

Due to high lipid content and a slow metabolism, there is a higher risk of bioaccumulation of oil compounds in Arctic than in temperate copepods. There is also a concern that the bioavailability of oil compounds is higher when oil is dispersed with dispersants. The purpose of this project was to increase the knowledge on how the use of dispersants on an oil spill may affect the passive uptake of PAHs in resting high arctic copepods using Calanus hyperboreus as a model organism.

Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modelling of distribution, bioaccumulation and excretion of POPs in Greenland sledge dogs (Canis familiaris).

We used PBPK (physiologically-based pharmacokinetic) modelling to investigate distribution, bioaccumulation and excretion of the seven POPs (persistent organic pollutants) CB-99, CB-153, HCB, oxychlordane, p,p'-DDE, BDE-47 and BDE-99 in 4 adult captive Greenland sledge dog (Canis familiaris) bitches fed minke whale (Balaenoptera acuterostrata) blubber for 500-635 days. The PBPK modelled POP concentrations in adipose tissue, liver, kidney and plasma were mostly within a factor 2 of actual measured tissue levels even for those at the lower concentration end. The excretion route for oxychlordane and CB-153 was modelled to be via faeces while lung alveolar excretion dominated for BDE-47, BDE-99, HCB, p,p'-DDE and CB-99.