Oil Spill Effects 393 



TA BLE 9- 1 Nu trien t Concen tratiom in Con trol Pond C and Before and 

 After Whole Pond Spills on Pond E and Pond Omega 



Data expressed as yearly average (± standard deviation). 

 ^1970-72 DRP was extracted into isobutanol and read in 10 cm cells. 



Autoanalyzer, unextracted 1975. 

 Source: Miller et al (1978a). 



The only chemical change noted was a detectable amount of nitrogen 

 fixation in Pond E 3 years after the spill (Miller et al. 1978a). This fixation 

 occurred in only one of three samples; the only other N fixation ever found 

 in the ponds was in an experimental subpond of Pond B which was heavily 

 fertilized with phosphorus. This may be bacterial fixation similar to that 

 found in oiled experimental ponds along the Ottawa River (Shindler et al., 

 1975). 



Some of the oil is lost by volatization and some lost by degradation; 

 the exact amount lost is difficult to measure in the field but at least half of 

 the oil disappeared in the first several months after a spill (details given in 

 Miller et al. 1978b). For example, the initial loss rate of the volatile 

 components of Prudhoe Bay crude oil was 10.3% day " ' at 5°C and 12.5% 



