Oil slicks and hydrocarbons in sea water

Surface and upper-layer pollution of seas and oceans by crude oil and refinery products is under study by investigators in many countries. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have prepared an international experimental project that is to be carried out within the framework of the Integrated Global Oceanic Station System (IGOSS). The purpose of the project is to prepare a picture of distribution and dynamics of oil pollution. Parameters to be observed include: oil patches (slicks), floating lumps of tar on the surface, and hydrocarbons emulsified and dissolved in water. Cruise 22 of R/V Akademik Kurchatov took the ship through regions being the most suitable for pollution studies. They were conducted from March through June 1976. On the cruise, oil slicks were observed visually by a procedure recommended by the international program. Areas of the slicks were determined from speed of the ship and time required to cross them. Surface samples were taken along the path of the ship for determination of concentrations of dissolved and emulsified hydrocarbons in water. In addition, samples were taken from deep water by a 7-liter vinyl water bottle at 17 stations. Hydrocarbons present in the samples were extracted immediately with carbon tetrachloride. Final determination of hydrocarbons was made by infrared spectrophotometry. This method is currently accepted in the Soviet Union in an arbitration capacity for determination of petroleum products dissolved and emulsified in sea water. Infrared spectrophotometry is used to determine hydrocarbons containing methyl and methylene groups, but they are not identified as to origin.多国科研人员正针对原油与炼油制品造成的近海及远洋表层与上层水体污染展开研究。政府间海洋学委员会（Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, IOC）与世界气象组织（World Meteorological Organization, WMO）已牵头筹备一项国际性实验项目，该项目将依托全球海洋综合观测站系统（Integrated Global Oceanic Station System, IGOSS）的框架开展实施。本项目旨在探明海洋石油污染的分布规律与动态变化特征。需观测的参数包括：海面油斑（溢油膜，slicks）、表层漂浮焦油团块，以及乳化态与溶解态烃类物质。“库尔恰托夫院士号”（Akademik Kurchatov）研究船第22次科考航次途经了最适宜开展污染研究的海域，该航次于1976年3月至6月间实施。本航次中，科考人员采用国际项目推荐的目视观测方法对海面溢油膜进行观测。溢油膜的覆盖面积通过航船航速与穿越油膜所需的时间计算得出。科考人员沿航迹采集表层水体样本，以测定水体中溶解态与乳化态烃类的浓度。此外，团队还在17个站位使用7升乙烯基采水器采集了深层水体样本。采集到的样本中的烃类物质需立即用四氯化碳进行萃取。最终的烃类定量分析采用红外分光光度法完成。目前，该方法在苏联被作为仲裁标准，用于测定海水中溶解态与乳化态石油类物质的含量。红外分光光度法可对含有甲基与亚甲基基团的烃类进行定量，但无法识别这些烃类的来源。