1.
PAHs are families, not
orphans
Interpretation of PAH data from an
inland water body
Presented by: Phil Richards, PhD, PChem
at Watertech 2014, Banff, Alberta
Click here for related case study

2.
So, there is an oil release into a
water body…
• Highly variable conditions – flow rate,
turbidity
• Large contact area with shoreline
• Backwater pooling
• Vegetation contact
• Suspended solids / dissolved organics
• Eventually deposition
Evaporation, Biodegradation (food source), Photolysis
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

3.
Primary remediation efforts and monitoring
Trapping and collecting
•Booms, sponges, hydrovac.
Impacted area
•Aerial recon
Health guidelines
•Water sampling
So, there is an oil release into a
water body…
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

4.
• What next…?
Long Term Monitoring
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

5.
• Water via SPMDs
Very low solubility, very low concentrations,
affected by very small effects
• Fish
Biological processes impact PAH concentrations
in tissue
• Sediment
PAH reservoir
Still need upstream controls (PAHs are
ubiquitous)
Why Sediment?
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

6.
Lifespan of chemical
residues after a spill
Days Weeks Months Years
BTEX
Alkanes
Biomarkers
PAHs
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

7.
Residue after a spill
Days Weeks Months Years
BTEX
Alkanes
Biomarkers
PAHs
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

8.
Analysis for PAHs
Parent PAHs
17 CCME
Naphthalene
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

9.
Analysis for PAHs
Parent PAHs
17 CCME
Extended PAHs
50+
Naphthalene
C1-Naphthalenes
C2-Naphthalenes
C3-Naphthalenes
… …
…
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014
vs.

10.
Interpretation of Parent
PAHs Data
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

11.
Interpretation of Extended
PAHs Data
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

12.
Environmental Forensics
Interpretation of Extended
PAHs Data
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

13.
Environmental Forensics
Fingerprint
Diagnostic
Ratios
Statistical
Analysis
Visual comparison of PAH
data
Relative concentration of
key PAHs
Comprehensive analysis of
all PAH data
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

14.
PAH Fingerprints
Visual comparisons
•PAH groups
•Types of oils and refined products.
• light crude, heavy crude, gasoline,
diesel…
•Nature of background
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014
Visit one of our past blogs on a natural PAH, called retene:
http://chemistry-matters.com/aha-moment-environmental-forensics/

15.
Parent PAH Fingerprint
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

16.
Extended PAH Fingerprint
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

17.
Diagnostic Ratios
The relative concentration of specific
PAHs can be indicative of a potential
source.
Often, dibenzothiophene (DBT) is a
good indicator for crude products, and
the ratio of alkylated DBTs with alkylated
phenanthrenes (Phen) is a powerful
diagnostic tool.
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

18.
Double Ratio Plot
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

19.
Double Ratio Plot
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

20.
Double Ratio Plot
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

21.
Better interpretation?
Diagnostic ratios are indicators for 2 chemicals,
and a double ratio plot is good for 4 chemicals.
But, we can do better… we can develop
analysis to consider variability within all
chemicals –
Principle Components Analysis (PCA)
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

22.
Statistical tool that considers all variability
within our PAH dataset.
PCA takes the concentrations of all of our
PAHs and presents an output that
represent the major differences within all
of that data.
Principle Components Analysis
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

23.
Principle Components Analysis
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

24.
Principle Components Analysis
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

25.
PAHs from release
PAHs not from release
Principle Components Analysis
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014

26.
Summary
• PAHs are the focus of monitoring
post-spill
• Extended PAH analysis provides
much more information
• Fingerprinting
• Diagnostic Ratios
• Statistics
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014
For more information on PAHs and PAH fingerprinting visit our
website on PAHs:
http://chemistry-matters.com/chemicals/polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons-pah/

27.
Questions?
Contact Info:
Chemistry Matters Inc.
Court Sandau
Twitter: @Chem_Matters
Slideshare: www.slideshare.net/csandau
Watertech 2014 - © Chemistry Matters Inc. 2014
Please visit our website for related information, case studies
and blogs. www.chemistry-matters.com