Dataset for: Degradation and Composition of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Following Oil Exposure in Experimental Salt Marshes

We sought to examine the change in concentration and composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) immediately following oil exposure in Juncus roemerianus dominated salt marshes in coastal Alabama. Using J. roemerianus sod from Weeks Bay, AL, we established wetland mesocosms in 78 gallon tubs at Auburn University in Auburn, AL. We exposed these mesocosms to one of six trials (each consisting of two or three mesocosms) of different combinations of oil dosages and weathering durations to elicit a range of initial PAH concentrations in the soil. Soil cores were taken from each mesocosm at two and ten weeks following oil exposure to measure PAH concentration with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using selective ion monitoring. Individual PAH analyte reduction and degradation between sampling dates was calculated as the total percent change in analyte concentration and the percent change in analyte concentration relative to the concentration of biomarker hopane, respectively. Our results suggest that oil loss through hydrologic export (i.e., washout from tidal action) may be important after initial oil exposure, and salt marsh soils may have a certain capacity to retain PAHs in soil. Publication citation: Anderson, C.J. 2013. Degradation and composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) following oil exposure in experimental salt marshes. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution DOI: 10.1007/s11270-013-1608-z.