Petroleum Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Petroleum, including details on crude oil, extraction, chemistry, pollution. | ||||||||
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An assessment of oil pollution in the coastal zone of patagonia, Argentina.Commendatore MG, Esteves JL Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET), Bv. Brown 3,000, (9120) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina, esteves@cenpat.edu.ar. The Patagonian coast is considered a relatively pristine environment. However, studies conducted along coastal Patagonia have showed hydrocarbon pollution mostly concentrated at ports that have fishing, oil loading, general merchant, and/or tourist activities. A high value of total aliphatic hydrocarbons (TAH) was found at the Rawson fishing port (741 mug/g dw). In other ports with and without petroleum-related activities, hydrocarbon values were approximately 100 mug/g dw. The highest values for TAH and total aromatic hydrocarbons (TArH) were found in Faro Aristizábal, north of San Jorge gulf (1304 and 737 mug/g dw, respectively). This is very likely the result of petroleum-related activities at the Comodoro Rivadavia, Caleta Cordova, and Caleta Olivia ports located within this gulf. In other coastal areas away from potential anthropogenic sources, hydrocarbon values were less than 2 and 3 mug/g dw for TAH and TArH, respectively. This review of published and unpublished information suggests that ports are important oil pollution sources in the Patagonian coast. More detailed studies are needed to evaluate the area affected by port activities, to understand the mechanisms of hydrocarbon distribution in surrounding environments, and to assess bioaccumulation in marine organisms. Despite that some regulations exist to control oil pollution derived from port and docked vessel activities, new and stricter management guidelines should be implemented. Published 29 October 2007 in Environ Manage, 40(5): 814-21.
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