Assimilation of Oil-Derived Elements by Oysters Due to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

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• 作者：Ruth H. Carmichael ; Amanda L. Jones ; Heather K. Patterson ; William C. Walton ; Alberto P茅rez-Huerta ; Edward B. Overton ; Meghan Dailey ; Kristine L. Willett
• 刊名：Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T)
• 出版年：2012
• 出版时间：December 4, 2012
• 年：2012
• 卷：46
• 期：23
• 页码：12787-12795
• 全文大小：387K
• 年卷期：v.46,no.23(December 4, 2012)
• ISSN：1520-5851

文摘

During and after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWHOS), oysters (Crassostrea virginica) were exposed to oil and susceptible to incidental consumption of surface and subsurface oil materials. We determined the contribution of oil materials from the DWHOS to diet of oysters by comparing carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotope ratios in oyster shell to ratios in suspended particulate matter (SPM) and in fresh and weathered oil. Average 未¹³C and 未¹⁵N values in oyster shell (鈭?1 卤 1鈥?and 9鈥?1鈥? respectively) were consistent with consumption of naturally available SPM as opposed to values in oil (鈭?7 卤 0.2鈥? 1.6 卤 0.4鈥?. Stable isotope ratios in oyster adductor muscle were similar to shell for 未¹⁵N but not 未¹³C, suggesting either a recent shift in diet composition or differential assimilation of C between tissue types. We found no evidence of assimilation of oil-derived C and N and, therefore, no evidence of an oyster-based conduit to higher trophic levels. Trace elements in shell were inconclusive to corroborate oil exposure. These findings are not an indication that oysters were not exposed to oil; rather they imply oysters either did not consume oil-derived materials or consumed too little to be detectable compared to natural diet.