Accelerated burial of petroleum hydrocarbons in Arabian Gulf blue carbon repositories

Ananya Ashok; Michael Cusack; Vincent Saderne; Periyadan K. Krishnakumar; Lotfi Rabaoui; Mohammed A. Qurban; Carlos M. Duarte; Susana Agusti

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.437

Accelerated burial of petroleum hydrocarbons in Arabian Gulf blue carbon repositories

Ananya Ashok, Michael Cusack, Vincent Saderne, Periyadan K. Krishnakumar, Lotfi Rabaoui, Mohammed A. Qurban, Carlos M. Duarte, Susana Agusti

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

Massive consumption of petroleum since the past century has led to considerable emissions into marine ecosystems. Marine sediments may accumulate substantial quantities of petroleum and associated contaminants in oil-producing areas. Here, we report accelerated accumulation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in 'blue carbon' vegetated ecosystems of the Arabian Gulf - the world's most important region for oil production. In addition to increased accumulation with the onset of oil exploitation, sediment records reflect a large depositional event associated with the 1991 Gulf War, with the magnitude of these maxima varying across habitats, depending on their elevation along the shoreline. Blue carbon ecosystems of the Arabian Gulf currently bury about 2300 megagrams (Mg) of TPHs annually and have accumulated TPH stocks of 59,799 Mg over the past 25 years alone. Massive burial and sequestration of TPH by blue carbon ecosystems is an important, but thus far unrecognized, removal mechanism in the Arabian Gulf. Conserving these ecosystems is important to avoid possible remobilization of sequestered TPH into the surrounding environment.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	205-212
Number of pages	8
Journal	Science of The Total Environment
Volume	669
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.437
State	Published - Mar 6 2019

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): BAS/1/1072-01-01, BAS/1/1071-01-01
Acknowledgements: Funding sources: The study was supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, through the baseline fund of S. Agusti (BAS/1/1072-01-01) and C.M. Duarte (BAS/1/1071-01-01), and by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and Saudi Aramco Environmental Initiatives. Acknowledgements: The authors thank the staff at the Marine Studies department of the Centre for Environment and Water of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, for their support and expertise in field work and analysis of samples, especially R. Lindo, R. Magalles, P. Bacquiran and M. Lopez. We also thank K. Rowe, I. Schulz, N. Geraldi, D. Prabowo, R. Diaz, G. Gonzalez and J. D. Martinez-Ayala at KAUST. We especially thank P. Masqué, A. Arias-Ortiz and G. Salgao at Edith Cowan University for providing the 210Pb dating.

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10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.437

https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/bitstream/10754/631741/1/1-s2.0-S0048969719302372-main.pdf

Cite this

@article{e7b347f2a39a4e288458636336d91250,

title = "Accelerated burial of petroleum hydrocarbons in Arabian Gulf blue carbon repositories",

abstract = "Massive consumption of petroleum since the past century has led to considerable emissions into marine ecosystems. Marine sediments may accumulate substantial quantities of petroleum and associated contaminants in oil-producing areas. Here, we report accelerated accumulation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in 'blue carbon' vegetated ecosystems of the Arabian Gulf - the world's most important region for oil production. In addition to increased accumulation with the onset of oil exploitation, sediment records reflect a large depositional event associated with the 1991 Gulf War, with the magnitude of these maxima varying across habitats, depending on their elevation along the shoreline. Blue carbon ecosystems of the Arabian Gulf currently bury about 2300 megagrams (Mg) of TPHs annually and have accumulated TPH stocks of 59,799 Mg over the past 25 years alone. Massive burial and sequestration of TPH by blue carbon ecosystems is an important, but thus far unrecognized, removal mechanism in the Arabian Gulf. Conserving these ecosystems is important to avoid possible remobilization of sequestered TPH into the surrounding environment.",

author = "Ananya Ashok and Michael Cusack and Vincent Saderne and Krishnakumar, {Periyadan K.} and Lotfi Rabaoui and Qurban, {Mohammed A.} and Duarte, {Carlos M.} and Susana Agusti",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): BAS/1/1072-01-01, BAS/1/1071-01-01 Acknowledgements: Funding sources: The study was supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, through the baseline fund of S. Agusti (BAS/1/1072-01-01) and C.M. Duarte (BAS/1/1071-01-01), and by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and Saudi Aramco Environmental Initiatives. Acknowledgements: The authors thank the staff at the Marine Studies department of the Centre for Environment and Water of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, for their support and expertise in field work and analysis of samples, especially R. Lindo, R. Magalles, P. Bacquiran and M. Lopez. We also thank K. Rowe, I. Schulz, N. Geraldi, D. Prabowo, R. Diaz, G. Gonzalez and J. D. Martinez-Ayala at KAUST. We especially thank P. Masqu{\'e}, A. Arias-Ortiz and G. Salgao at Edith Cowan University for providing the 210Pb dating.",

year = "2019",

month = mar,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.437",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "669",

pages = "205--212",

journal = "Science of The Total Environment",

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T1 - Accelerated burial of petroleum hydrocarbons in Arabian Gulf blue carbon repositories

AU - Ashok, Ananya

AU - Cusack, Michael

AU - Saderne, Vincent

AU - Krishnakumar, Periyadan K.

AU - Rabaoui, Lotfi

AU - Qurban, Mohammed A.

AU - Duarte, Carlos M.

AU - Agusti, Susana

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): BAS/1/1072-01-01, BAS/1/1071-01-01 Acknowledgements: Funding sources: The study was supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, through the baseline fund of S. Agusti (BAS/1/1072-01-01) and C.M. Duarte (BAS/1/1071-01-01), and by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and Saudi Aramco Environmental Initiatives. Acknowledgements: The authors thank the staff at the Marine Studies department of the Centre for Environment and Water of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, for their support and expertise in field work and analysis of samples, especially R. Lindo, R. Magalles, P. Bacquiran and M. Lopez. We also thank K. Rowe, I. Schulz, N. Geraldi, D. Prabowo, R. Diaz, G. Gonzalez and J. D. Martinez-Ayala at KAUST. We especially thank P. Masqué, A. Arias-Ortiz and G. Salgao at Edith Cowan University for providing the 210Pb dating.

PY - 2019/3/6

Y1 - 2019/3/6

N2 - Massive consumption of petroleum since the past century has led to considerable emissions into marine ecosystems. Marine sediments may accumulate substantial quantities of petroleum and associated contaminants in oil-producing areas. Here, we report accelerated accumulation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in 'blue carbon' vegetated ecosystems of the Arabian Gulf - the world's most important region for oil production. In addition to increased accumulation with the onset of oil exploitation, sediment records reflect a large depositional event associated with the 1991 Gulf War, with the magnitude of these maxima varying across habitats, depending on their elevation along the shoreline. Blue carbon ecosystems of the Arabian Gulf currently bury about 2300 megagrams (Mg) of TPHs annually and have accumulated TPH stocks of 59,799 Mg over the past 25 years alone. Massive burial and sequestration of TPH by blue carbon ecosystems is an important, but thus far unrecognized, removal mechanism in the Arabian Gulf. Conserving these ecosystems is important to avoid possible remobilization of sequestered TPH into the surrounding environment.

AB - Massive consumption of petroleum since the past century has led to considerable emissions into marine ecosystems. Marine sediments may accumulate substantial quantities of petroleum and associated contaminants in oil-producing areas. Here, we report accelerated accumulation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in 'blue carbon' vegetated ecosystems of the Arabian Gulf - the world's most important region for oil production. In addition to increased accumulation with the onset of oil exploitation, sediment records reflect a large depositional event associated with the 1991 Gulf War, with the magnitude of these maxima varying across habitats, depending on their elevation along the shoreline. Blue carbon ecosystems of the Arabian Gulf currently bury about 2300 megagrams (Mg) of TPHs annually and have accumulated TPH stocks of 59,799 Mg over the past 25 years alone. Massive burial and sequestration of TPH by blue carbon ecosystems is an important, but thus far unrecognized, removal mechanism in the Arabian Gulf. Conserving these ecosystems is important to avoid possible remobilization of sequestered TPH into the surrounding environment.

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/631741

UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969719302372

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85062867216&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.437

DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.437

M3 - Article

C2 - 30878929

SN - 0048-9697

VL - 669

SP - 205

EP - 212

JO - Science of The Total Environment

JF - Science of The Total Environment

ER -

Accelerated burial of petroleum hydrocarbons in Arabian Gulf blue carbon repositories

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

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