Vol 73, No 1 (2022)
Original article
Published online: 2022-03-31

open access

Page views 5697
Article views/downloads 619
Get Citation

Connect on Social Media

Connect on Social Media

Occupational exposure to air pollutants emitted from in situ burning of offshore oil spills: a large-scale field study

Marta Szwangruber1, Ingrid Gjesteland1, Bjørg Eli Hollund1, Liv-Guri Faksness2, Ingrid Christina Taban3, Frode Engen3, Jan Willie Holbu4, Hilde Dolva4, Magne Bråtveit1
Pubmed: 35380168
IMH 2022;73(1):1-9.

Abstract

Background: In-situ burning (ISB) could be an effective cleanup method during spills. This study aims to study occupational exposure to pollutants emitted from offshore, large-scale ISB-experiments among personnel on vessels involved in ISB.
Materials and methods: Six experimental ISBs after release of 4.2–6 m3 crude or refined oils were performed. Air measurements on three vessels were taken of particulate matter (PM) of different size fractions, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and volatile organic compounds (VOC).
Results: One vessel was located upwind (about 80–140 m) from the burning oil while two work boats were positioned 200–400 m downwind. One of the work boats moved back and forth transverse to the smoke plume while the other followed the edge of the smoke plume downwind. During the burn period (28–63 min) the range of mean concentrations of PM2.5 particles in the closest work boat downwind from the burn (0.068–0.616 mg/m3) was considerably higher than in the upwind vessel (0.0198–0.029 mg/m3) and in the work boat moving downwind at the edge of the visible smoke (0.007–0.078 mg/m3). The particles were mainly in the PM<1 fraction. In the work boat closest to the burn the mean concentration of particulate PAH and VOC was 0.046–0.070 ng/m3 and < limit of detection –17.1 ppm, respectively.
Conclusions: The mean PM2.5 levels in the closest vessel varied between 4 and 41 times higher than the 24-hour Norwegian Air Quality Criteria for the general population, indicating that the particulate exposure may impose a health risk for personnel up to 400 m downwind from an ISB. Exposure to VOC and PAH among crew on board vessels both upwind and downwind from the burning was low during these conditions. However, it is recommended that crew on vessels close to and downwind of smoke plumes from oil fires should use half-masks with P3 filters.

Article available in PDF format

View PDF Download PDF file

References

  1. Li Pu, Cai Q, Lin W, et al. Offshore oil spill response practices and emerging challenges. Mar Pollut Bull. 2016; 110(1): 6–27.
  2. Mullin J, Champ M. Introduction/Overview to in situ burning of oil spills. Spill Sci Technol Bull. 2003; 8(4): 323–330.
  3. Ross JL, Ferek JR, Hobbs PV. Particle and Gas Emissions from an In Situ Burn of Crude Oil on the Ocean. J Air Waste Manage Assoc. 1996; 46(3): 251–259.
  4. Fingas M. Oil Spill Science and Technology, Second edition. Chapter 10. In Situ Burning: An Update. Elsevier, Cambridge, US 2017.
  5. Dominski FH, Lorenzetti Branco JH, Buonanno G, et al. Effects of air pollution on health: A mapping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Environ Res. 2021; 201: 111487.
  6. Schraufnagel DE. The health effects of ultrafine particles. Exp Mol Med. 2020; 52(3): 311–317.
  7. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans volume 120 Benzene. Lyon (France): World Health Organisation. 2018; ISBN-13 (PDF) 978-92-832-0187-8.
  8. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans volume 92 Some non-heterocyclic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and some related exposures. Lyon (France): World Health Organisation. 2010; ISBN-13 (PDF) 978-92-832-1592-9.
  9. Evans DD, Mulholland GW, Baum HR, et al. In Situ Burning of Oil Spills. J Res Natl Inst Stand Technol. 2001; 106(1): 231–278.
  10. Draxler R, McQueen J, Stunder B. An evaluation of air pollutant exposures due to the 1991 Kuwait oil fires using a Lagrangian model. Atmospheric Environment. 1994; 28(13): 2197–2210.
  11. Fingas, MF, Fieldhouse B, Brown CE, et al. In-Situ burning of heavy oils and orimulsion: Mid-scale burns. Proceedings of the Twenty-Seventh Arctic and Marine Oil Spill Program Technical Seminar, Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 2004; 207-233.
  12. Gullett BK, Hays MD, Tabor D, et al. Characterization of the particulate emissions from the BP Deepwater Horizon surface oil burns. Mar Pollut Bull. 2016; 107(1): 216–223.
  13. Laursen K, Ferek R, Hobbs P, et al. Emission factors for particles, elemental carbon, and trace gases from the Kuwait oil fires. J Geophys Res. 1992; 97(D13): 14491.
  14. Stout SA, Payne JR. Chemical composition of floating and sunken in-situ burn residues from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Mar Pollut Bull. 2016; 108(1-2): 186–202.
  15. Fritt-Rasmussen J, Wegeberg S, Gustavson K. Review on burn residues from in situ burning of oil spills in relation to arctic waters. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution. 2015; 226(10).
  16. Pratt GC, Stenzel MR, Kwok RK, et al. Modeled air pollution from in situ burning and flaring of oil and gas released following the deepwater horizon disaster. Ann Work Expo Health. 2020 [Epub ahead of print].
  17. Gullett BK, Aurell J, Holder A, et al. Characterization of emissions and residues from simulations of the Deepwater Horizon surface oil burns. Mar Pollut Bull. 2017; 117(1-2): 392–405.
  18. Fingas M, Lambert P, Li K, et al. Studies of emissions from oil fires. Int Oil Spill Conference Proceedings. 1999; 1999(1): 541–547.
  19. Fingas M, Halley G, Ackerman F, et al. The newfoundland offshore burn experiment — nobe. Int Oil Spill Conference Proceedings. 1995; 1995(1): 123–132.
  20. Faksness LG, Leirvik F, Taban IC, et al. Offshore field experiments with in-situ burning of oil: Emissions and burn efficiency. Environ Res. 2022; 205: 112419.
  21. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons by GC: Method 5515. In: NIOSH manual of analytical methods (NMAM). 4th ed. Cincinnati (OH): Department of Health and Human Services (NIOSH). Publication No.: 94-113. 1994.
  22. Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority. Regulations concerning Action and Limit Values. https://www.arbeidstilsynet.no/en/laws-and-regulations/regulations/regulations-concerning-action-and-limit-values/ (Accessed 29 December 2021).
  23. Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Particulate matter (In Norwegian; Svevestøv). https://www.fhi.no/nettpub/luftkvalitet/temakapitler/svevestov/?term=&h=1 2017 (Accessed 23 November 2021).
  24. World Health Organization. WHO global air quality guidelines: Particulate matter (‎PM2.5 and PM10)‎, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. 2021. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/345329/9789240034228-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (Accessed 23 November 2021).
  25. Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (2019) Regulations relating to conducting petroleum activities (the Activities Regulations), Section 36 – Chemical health hazard. https://www.ptil.no/contentassets/810559624bcc442692712f244da54365/aktivitetsforskriften_e.pdf (Accessed 23 November 2021).
  26. Hornung R, Reed L. Estimation of average concentration in the presence of nondetectable values. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 1990; 5(1): 46–51.
  27. Fingas M, Li K, Ackerman F, et al. Emissions from mesoscale in situ oil fires: the mobile 1991 experiments. Spill Sci Technol Bull. 1996; 3(3): 123–137.
  28. Buist I, McCourt J, Potter S, et al. In Situ Burning. Pure Appl Chem. 1999; 71(1): 43–65.
  29. Perring AE, Schwarz JP, Spackman JR, et al. Characteristics of black carbon aerosol from a surface oil burn during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Geophys Res Lett. 2011; 38(17): L17809.
  30. Ohlwein S, Kappeler R, Kutlar Joss M, et al. Health effects of ultrafine particles: a systematic literature review update of epidemiological evidence. Int J Public Health. 2019; 64(4): 547–559.
  31. Valavanidis A, Fiotakis K, Vlachogianni T. Airborne particulate matter and human health: toxicological assessment and importance of size and composition of particles for oxidative damage and carcinogenic mechanisms. J Environ Sci Health C Environ Carcinog Ecotoxicol Rev. 2008; 26(4): 339–362.
  32. Rengasamy S, Eimer BC, Shaffer RE. Comparison of nanoparticle filtration performance of NIOSH-approved and CE-marked particulate filtering facepiece respirators. Ann Occup Hyg. 2009; 53(2): 117–128.
  33. Booher L, Janke B. Air Emissions from Petroleum Hydrocarbon Fires During Controlled Burning. Am Industrial Hygiene Assoc J. 2010; 58(5): 359–365.
  34. Gjesteland I, Hollund BE, Kirkeleit J, et al. Oil spill field trial at sea: measurements of benzene exposure. Ann Work Expo Health. 2017; 61(6): 692–699.
  35. Gjesteland I, Hollund BE, Kirkeleit J, et al. Biomonitoring of benzene and effect of wearing respirators during an oil spill field trial at sea. Ann Work Expo Health. 2018; 62(8): 1033–1039.
  36. Jayaratne R, Liu X, Thai P, et al. The influence of humidity on the performance of a low-cost air particle mass sensor and the effect of atmospheric fog. Atmos Meas Tech. 2018; 11(8): 4883–4890.