Chemistry data associated with shoreline sediment and soil samples collected in the Gulf of Mexico from April 2010 through December 2012

This report contains shoreline sediment and soil chemistry data, and provides additional context for the posted dataset, including information about the collection, analysis, and organization of the data. This data posting differs from other recently published datasets relating to the Gulf of Mexico in several respects: This Shoreline Sediment and Soil Chemistry dataset focuses only on information related to petroleum-related chemical constituents and associated parameters in sediment and soil samples. Chemical compounds that are not present in oil (such as polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, and halogenated volatiles) are not included in this dataset. This dataset includes data from independent studies performed by BP contractors. BP has been working to produce and organize these independent data, and has engaged outside consultants to perform quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) checks. As a result, these data have not previously been publicly accessible. • This dataset combines results from fourteen NRDA studies and four Response studies to create a unified data file. Certain Response data have been adjusted for surrogate recoveries as described below. Before posting, extensive work was done to verify some aspects of the posted information (e.g., positional coordinates and field data transcriptions). The focus of this data posting is chemistry data associated with shoreline sediment and soil samples collected in both federal and state jurisdictional waters in the Gulf of Mexico from April 2010 through December 2012. Additionally, sediment/soil-associated aqueous samples (e.g., leachates) are also provided in this data posting. More than 15,000 shoreline sediment and soil samples with associated chemistry analyses are included in this data posting. These samples were collected at more than 4,000 sampling stations during 18 studies. These studies can be classified into four general categories: NRDA Cooperative—Studies conducted as part of the NRDA which were agreed to and executed cooperatively by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), and/or other Trustees, and BP. BP NRDA Independent—Studies conducted by BP independently to develop data to support and inform the NRDA. Trustee Independent—Studies conducted by NOAA, DOI, and/or other Trustees independently to develop data to support and inform the NRDA. Response (non-NRDA)—Studies conducted by BP and/or government representatives under the direction of the Unified Area Command and in association with activities performed in response to the DWH accident (the Response). The chemical parameters provided in this data posting include: Parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), Saturated hydrocarbons (SHC), Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), including parameters reported as total extractable material (TEM) and total extractable hydrocarbon (TEH), Benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylenes (BTEX) and other volatile hydrocarbons classified as paraffins, isoparaffins, aromatics, naphthenes, and olefins (PIANO), Geochemical biomarkers (sterane and triterpane), where available Metals, Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Percent moisture or percent solids, Grain size parameters. The chemical analyte lists are generally consistent between studies for the standard PAH, SHC, and BTEX compounds. However, portions of the dataset also include analysis of the extended PIANO volatile hydrocarbon list, TPH, or geochemical biomarkers. Additionally, NRDA PAH analyses include an extended list of parent and alkylated decalins, benzothiophenes, naphthobenzothiophenes, and several other PAHs and related chemicals that were not included in Response analyses. This dataset includes data associated with natural field samples, along with the associated field-collected quality control samples, such as field replicates, equipment blanks, field blanks, and trip blanks. Laboratory duplicate samples are provided, where available. No other laboratory quality control samples (e.g., laboratory blanks and spike samples) are included in this data posting. The Trustees developed an approach for screening sediments for the potential presence of oil using analysis by gas chromatography/flame ionization detection (GC/FID) and visual inspection of the resulting chromatograms. Through this visual inspection of the chromatograms, screened samples were categorized by comparing the amount of oil (of any source) present in the sample, if any, to the abundance of naturally-occurring organic matter (NOM) as determined by the chromatographic character of the extractable hydrocarbons. The Trustees developed the following four classification levels: A = Oil is present in excess of NOM, B = Oil is present in comparable abundance to NOM, C = Trace oil is present but is exceeded by NOM, D = No obvious oil, overwhelmingly comprised of NOM. All samples classified by Trustee representatives in the preliminary screening phase as Category A, B, or C were sent for further laboratory analysis to aid with characterizing the source of the oil present in the sediments. A subset of the Category D samples was also sent for further laboratory analysis. Within this Shoreline Sediment and Soil Chemistry dataset posting of approximately 15,500 analytical samples, only 4 samples have TPH screening classification levels available on the Trustees website.本报告包含岸线沉积物与土壤化学数据，并为本次发布的数据集提供补充背景信息，涵盖数据的采集、分析与整理流程。本次发布的数据与近期公开发布的其他墨西哥湾相关数据集存在多方面差异：本岸线沉积物与土壤化学数据集仅聚焦沉积物和土壤样品中与石油相关的化学成分及相关参数，未包含石油中不存在的化学化合物（如多氯联苯、农药及卤代挥发性有机物）。 本数据集涵盖英国石油公司（BP）承包商开展的独立研究数据。BP一直致力于生成并整理这些独立数据，并聘请外部顾问开展质量保证与质量控制（QA/QC）核查，因此此类数据此前从未对外公开。 • 本数据集整合了14项自然资源损害评估（Natural Resource Damage Assessment, NRDA）研究与4项响应行动研究的结果，以形成统一的数据文件。部分响应行动数据已根据下文所述的替代物回收率进行了校正。 • 在发布前，已开展大量工作以验证所发布信息的部分内容（例如位置坐标与野外数据转录结果）。 本次数据发布的核心为2010年4月至2012年12月期间，在墨西哥湾联邦与州管辖海域采集的岸线沉积物与土壤样品对应的化学数据。此外，本次发布还包含与沉积物/土壤相关的水相样品（如渗滤液）。 本次发布的数据包含超过15000份岸线沉积物与土壤样品及其配套化学分析结果，这些样品来自18项研究的4000余个采样站点。这些研究可分为四大类别： 1. NRDA合作研究：作为自然资源损害评估（Natural Resource Damage Assessment, NRDA）的一部分，由美国国家海洋和大气管理局（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA）、美国内政部（U.S. Department of the Interior, DOI）及/或其他受托方与BP共同商定并实施的研究。 2. BP NRDA独立研究：由BP独立开展，旨在生成支撑NRDA工作的数据的研究。 3. 受托方独立研究：由NOAA、DOI及/或其他受托方独立开展，旨在生成支撑NRDA工作的数据的研究。 4. 响应行动（非NRDA）研究：由BP及/或政府代表在统一区域指挥部指导下，针对深水地平线（Deepwater Horizon, DWH）事故开展的响应行动所实施的研究。 本次数据发布包含的化学参数包括：母体与烷基化多环芳烃（Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, PAHs）、饱和烃（Saturated Hydrocarbons, SHC）、总石油烃（Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons, TPH，包含报告为总萃取物（Total Extractable Material, TEM）与总萃取烃（Total Extractable Hydrocarbon, TEH）的参数）、苯系物（Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes, BTEX）及其他归类为链烷烃、异链烷烃、芳香烃、环烷烃和烯烃（Paraffins, Isoparaffins, Aromatics, Naphthenes, and Olefins, PIANO）的挥发性烃类、地球化学生物标志物（甾烷与萜烷，如可获取）、金属、总有机碳（Total Organic Carbon, TOC）、含水率或固体占比、粒度参数。 各研究针对标准PAHs、SHCs及BTEX化合物的分析物列表大体一致。但本数据集的部分内容还包含扩展PIANO挥发性烃类列表、TPH或地球化学生物标志物的分析。此外，NRDA的PAH分析还包含扩展列表的母体与烷基化十氢萘、苯并噻吩、萘并苯并噻吩，以及若干未纳入响应行动分析的其他PAHs及相关化学品。 本数据集包含野外采集的天然样品数据，以及配套的野外质量控制样品，例如野外重复样、设备空白样、野外空白样与行程空白样。如可获取，还包含实验室重复样。本数据集未包含其他实验室质量控制样品（例如实验室空白样与加标样）。 受托方开发了一种方法，通过气相色谱/火焰离子化检测器（Gas Chromatography/Flame Ionization Detection, GC/FID）分析及对所得色谱图的目视检查，筛查沉积物中是否存在石油。通过对色谱图的目视检查，将筛查后的样品按以下方式分类：将样品中存在的（若有）石油量与通过可萃取烃类的色谱特征确定的天然有机质（Naturally-occurring Organic Matter, NOM）丰度进行对比。受托方制定了以下四个分类等级： A = 石油含量超过天然有机质（NOM） B = 石油丰度与天然有机质（NOM）相当 C = 存在微量石油，但含量低于天然有机质（NOM） D = 无明显石油，样品以天然有机质（NOM）为主。 在初步筛查阶段被受托方代表归类为A、B或C类的所有样品，均被送往开展进一步实验室分析，以表征沉积物中存在的石油来源。部分D类样品也被送往开展进一步实验室分析。在本次发布的约15500份分析样品的岸线沉积物与土壤化学数据集中，仅有4份样品的TPH筛查分类等级可在受托方网站上查询。