Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry are the foundational tools for understanding the composition of spilled oil as it ‘weathers’. A key assumption is that the analytical tools characterize the molecular composition of most of an oil. Here we review the limitations of those techniques and how, while GC × GC and ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometries are filling gaps in our understanding of the composition of previously unresolved complex mixtures and nonvolatile polar species, we are still some way from an analytical suite that reliably quantifies the complete composition of an oil in environmental or experimental samples. Rigorous quantitation remains challenging, especially for non-hydrocarbons, but will be essential if the new tools are to help guide spill response and restoration activities.

气相色谱法和质谱法是了解泄漏油的“天气”成分的基本工具。一个关键假设是分析工具可以表征大部分油的分子组成。在这里，我们回顾了这些技术的局限性，以及虽然 GC × GC 和超高分辨率质谱正在填补我们对以前未解决的复杂混合物和非挥发性极性物质组成的理解方面的空白，但我们仍然距离可靠的分析套件有一定的距离量化环境或实验样品中油的完整成分。严格的定量仍然具有挑战性，特别是对于非碳氢化合物，但如果新工具要帮助指导泄漏响应和恢复活动，这将是必不可少的。