SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1991
STP17624S

Evaluating the Relative Performance of ASTM Methods in the Laboratory and the Field

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In order to establish legal responsibility for an oil spill and recover clean-up costs, the U.S. Coast Guard Oil Identification Laboratory compares spilled and suspected source oil samples using a multi-method approach based primarily on ASTM standards. This paper describes a computerized evaluation of whether improvements in technology and subsequent method development have improved the relative performance of the analytical methods. Artificial intelligence software capable of analyzing data bases containing qualitative as well as quantitative information was employed. Results of this on-going laboratory study indicate that the revised Gas Chromatography method performs better, relative to the Fluorescence, Infrared, High Performance Liquid Chromatographic and Thin Layer Chromatographic methods. A field study was conducted during the deployment of the Coast Guard Research and Development Center's Mobile Lab to Alaska where it was used to assist in assessing the environmental impact of the spilled EXXON VALDEZ oil. Over twelve hundred samples were analyzed and “fingerprinted” to determine if they were related to the spilled cargo oil. The rapid turn-around times required and a variety of operational, sampling and weathering problems presented difficulties not normally encountered in normal laboratory operation. The approach that proved to be highly successful included screening and fingerprinting samples with fluorescence techniques, including ASTM standard method D3650 for emission spectra as well as synchronous scanning techniques. Samples found to be similar to the EXXON VALDEZ cargo were analyzed by GC/MS techniques for confirmation. This approach met the rapid turn around times requested and demonstrated that a multi-method approach is the most efficient and reliable way to positively match a spilled oil to a common source.

Author Information

Hendrick, MS
Jadamec, JR
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Details
Developed by Committee: D19
Pages: 567–577
DOI: 10.1520/STP17624S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5163-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-1407-4