Abstract

After an oil spill, collecting reliable and legally defensible oil samples is critical for determining oil sources and assessing environmental impacts. This review of guidance documents and the scientific literature identifies accepted practices for collecting oil samples in the marine environment for chemical analysis. Recommended sampling techniques differ depending on the form of the oil being sampled (e.g., oil sheens/slicks versus tar balls). Preventing sample contamination and collecting representative oil samples are crucial. Collecting suspected source and background samples is recommended for source identification. Guidance on quality control samples varies, but at minimum, blanks are required to meet study data quality objectives.

摘要

石油泄漏后，收集可靠且具有法律依据的石油样本对于确定石油来源和评估环境影响至关重要。对指导文件和科学文献的审查确定了在海洋环境中收集油样进行化学分析的公认做法。推荐的采样技术因被采样油的形式而异（例如，油膜/浮油与焦油球）。防止样品污染和收集有代表性的油样至关重要。建议收集可疑来源和背景样本用于来源识别。关于质量控制样本的指南各不相同，但至少需要空白才能满足研究数据质量目标。