RAPID: MRI - Acquisition of an Accelerated Solvent Extractor (ASE) to Rapidly Extract Petroleum Hydrocarbons from Atmospheric Samples in the Field During the 2010 Hurricane Season

East Carolina University, Greenville NC

Investigators

Abstract

The PI requests MRI RAPID funding to acquire an Accelerated Solvent Extractor (ASE) to more rapidly and efficiently conduct hydrocarbon extractions from environmental samples related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This proposal complements a Gulf oil spill RAPID recently funded by the NSF Chemical Oceanography program to quantify marine-to-land transfer of hydrocarbons via atmospheric deposition from hurricanes that pass through the Deepwater Horizon surface slick during the 2010 hurricane season. This will be the first study ever to address marine-to-land transfer of petroleum products via rainfall. Since submission of the original RAPID proposal storm surge from Hurricane Alex has expanded the coastal exposure of many of the Gulf Coast States. This necessitates sampling across a broader geographical sampling grid increasing the total sample count from 24 to 144 and includes sampling air, rainwater, and lake water! As a result a greater number of samples will necessitate adopting a faster extraction process to ensure timely analyses throughout the 2010 hurricane season. Broader Impacts The results from this study may provide an indication of ecosystem health in upland areas affected by 2010 hurricanes is severely compromised by wet and dry deposition of Deepwater Horizon-derived hydrocarbons. These will be the first such measurements.