Figure 2-11. — Gas chromatogresafe trace illustrating no gasoline bat a large amount (~509 ppml of petroleum (boiling range n-C13 to n-C30Kwindowpane flounder, 



station 115 from the srea of Ocean 250 gasoline spill.) 



v^ 



_A-> 



Figure 2-12. — Gas chromatographic trace of yellowtail flounder flesh, station 115 of the Ocean 250 gasoline spill — 400 ppm of petroleum hydrocarbons— no gasoline. 



tissues. This would require some more rigorous analytical chemistry 

 (i.e., some GC-MS work). However, the methods and procedures 

 used in this study allow the following conclusions to be drawn: 



1. Gasoline consists of alkyl benzenes as a major aromatic 

 hydrocarbon constituent. 



2. Components believed to be alkyl benzenes are observed in 

 almost all samples as well as in the control but at low levels (1-2 

 ppm). 



3. Five samples have concentrations of these constituents at 

 levels at least twice the control value although statistical uncertain- 

 ties in control levels as well as actual control levels of these com- 

 pounds in species other than winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes 

 ameriamus, pose interpretative problems. 



4. Several samples contain HMW petroleum hydrocarbons 

 at concentrations which are two orders of magnitude higher than 

 the highest suspected gasoline levels. 



Acknowledgments. — The laboratory analyses were supported 

 by NOAA Contract No. 02-78-D01-30. 



2.5 Summary 



On 16 March 1978, the Ocean 250 spilled 2.6 million liters of 

 gasoline into Block Island Sound. A slick which formed had 

 dissipated within 10 h after gasoline stopped leaking from the 

 damaged barge. On cruises during the following 4 d, samples of 

 water and marine organisms including invertebrates, plankton, and 

 fish were collected for gas chromatographic and GC-MS analyses. 

 Gasoline compounds were found in the water column at concentra- 

 tions up to 12 ;ug total gasoline compounds/liter. Low levels of 

 hydrocarbons in the gasoline range were found in some shellfish 

 from the contaminated area. The similarities of gas chromatograms 

 and mass spectra from extracts of shellfish with those from the 

 gasoline standards indicated that compounds from the gasoline 

 spilled by the barge may have been incorporated by some of these 

 benthic organisms. 



Gasoline components were found in one plankton sample col- 

 lected between 1 .6 and 0.8 km west of the grounding site and adja- 

 cent to stations which contained 10-12 ppb of gasoline in water 

 samples. The gasoline components in this one plankton sample did 

 not match quantitatively the spilled gasoline presumably due to 

 evaporative losses, selective solubilization, and/or selective uptake. 

 Qualitatively, however, the plankton sample contained 18 



15 



