Scientists evaluated two oil risk assessment protocols that use passive dosing to create oil and water accommodated fractions (WAFs) for laboratory tests as potential alternatives to the traditional oil dosing method that CROSERF (multi-agency/organization oil spill research group) recommends.
Hydrocarbons associated with oil spills can have harmful effects on humans and organisms, yet little is known about the specific compounds that contribute to toxicity.
Scientists used novel bioinformatics to investigate molecular-level changes over time and toxicity pathways in mahi-mahi embryos and larvae exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil. They observed that weathered oil induced more pronounced gene expression changes than a non-weathered source oil.
Responders to the Deepwater Horizon spill used large quantities of dispersant to facilitate oil biodegradation, but could a different method be safer for the environment?