ASTM F1010-86(1993)e1
(Guide)Guide for Ecological Considerations for the Use of Chemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response-Bird Habitats (Withdrawn October 2001)
Guide for Ecological Considerations for the Use of Chemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response-Bird Habitats (Withdrawn October 2001)
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers recommendations for the use of chemical dispersants to assist in the control of oil spills. This guide is written with the goal of minimizing the environmental impacts of oil spills; this goal is the basis upon which recommendations are made. Aesthetic and socioeconomic factors are not considered, although these and other factors are often important in spill response.
1.2 Each on-scene coordinator has available several means of control or cleanup of spilled oil. In this guide, use of chemical dispersants is not considered as a last resort after other methods have failed. Chemical dispersants are to be given equal consideration with other spill countermeasures.
1.3 This is a general guide only assuming the oil to be dispersible and the dispersant to be effective, available, applied correctly, and in compliance with relevant government regulations. Oil, as used in this guide, includes crude oils and fuel oils (No. 1 through No. 6). Differences between individual dispersants or between different oils or products are not considered.
1.4 This guide covers one type of habitat, bird environments. Other guides, similar to this one, cover habitats such as rocky shores. The use of dispersants is considered primarily to protect such habitats from impact (or minimize impacts) and also to clean them after the spill takes place.
1.5 This guide applies to marine and estuarine environments but not to freshwater environments.
1.6 In making dispersant-use decisions, appropriate government authorities should be consulted as required by law.
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
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e1
Designation: F 1010 – 86 (Reapproved 1993)
Standard Guide for
Ecological Considerations for the Use of Chemical
Dispersants in Oil Spill Response—Bird Habitats
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F 1010; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
e NOTE—Section 7 was added editorially in December 1992.
1. Scope response teams during spill response planning and spill events.
1.1 This guide covers recommendations for the use of
3. General Considerations for Making Dispersant-Use
chemical dispersants to assist in the control of oil spills. This
Decisions
guide is written with the goal of minimizing the environmental
3.1 The decision of whether or not to use dispersants in a
impacts of oil spills; this goal is the basis upon which
given spill situation is always one involving trade-offs. Dis-
recommendations are made. Aesthetic and socioeconomic
persing a slick at one site temporarily introduces more oil into
factors are not considered, although these and other factors are
the water column at that site than would be there if a surface
often important in spill response.
slick floated over it. Therefore, adverse effects on water
1.2 Each on-scene coordinator has available several means
column organisms may be increased at the site so that adverse
of control or cleanup of spilled oil. In this guide, use of
effects can be decreased or eliminated at other sites.
chemical dispersants is not considered as a last resort after
3.2 Dispersant use is primarily a spill-control method, not a
other methods have failed. Chemical dispersants are to be
cleanup method. Such use can give spill-response personnel
given equal consideration with other spill countermeasures.
some control over where the impacts of a spill will occur and
1.3 This is a general guide only assuming the oil to be
what types of impacts they may be. Since some evironments
dispersible and the dispersant to be effective, available, applied
are known to be more vulnerable to the longer lasting impacts
correctly, and in compliance with relevant government regula-
of spilled oil, an acceptable trade-off may be to protect those
tions. Oil, as used in this guide, includes crude oils and fuel oils
environments by dispersing an oil slick in a less sensitive or
(No. 1 through No. 6). Differences between individual dispers-
less productive environment. In general, the trade-off that must
ants or between different oils or products are not considered.
be evaluated is between the impact of the relatively long
1.4 This guide covers one type of habitat, bird environ-
residence time of spilled oil that strands on shorelines versus
ments. Other guides, similar to this one, cover habitats such as
the short-term impact of dispersed oil in the water column.
rocky shores. The use of dispersants is considered primarily to
3.3 In this guide, environments that are most vulnerable to
protect such habitats from impact (or minimize impacts) and
the longer-term impacts of oil contamination are identified.
also to clean them after the spill takes place.
Protection of these habitats is recommended as a high priority,
1.5 This guide applies to marine and estuarine environments
by means of dispersants and other methods.
but not to freshwater environments.
1.6 In making dispersant-use decisions, appropriate govern-
4. Environments Covered—Bird Habitats
ment authorities should be consulted as required by law.
4.1 Birds are present, at some time during the year, in
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the
practically every area of the world. This guide emphasizes
safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the
protecting the most important bird habitats.
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
4.2 Important bird habitat, regardless of the latitude, is
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
defined as follows:
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
4.2.1 Wintering concentrations of birds or staging sites for
large numbers of migrating birds,
2. Significance and Use
4.2.2 Breeding colony sites,
2.1 This guide is meant to aid local and regional spill
4.2.3 Coastal areas that support dense concentrations of
birds all year,
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F-20 on Hazardous
Substances and Oil Spill Responseand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
F20.13 on Treatment.
Current edition approved June 27, 1986. Published October 1986.
Copyright © ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
F 1010
4.2.4 Important coastal wetlands, or dispersed oil were just as soaked as birds exposed to dispersant
4.2.5 Endangered species habitat. alone, and their plumage was just as matted as the oil-exposed
ducks. Oil-exposed and dispersed-oil-exposed ducks exhibited
5. Background
significantly increased basal metabolic rates when placed in a
5.1 Avian mortality from oiling is well documented (1-5). cold chamber immediately after1hof exposure. Dispersant
Birds that spend much of their time on or in the water (for concentration in the water was 6.7 ppm and the oil:dispersant
example, sea ducks, auks, penguins) are the most vulnerable ratio was 30:1. However, dispersants applied remote from bird
species to surface oil. Oil disrupts feather structure and causes
habitats should prevent oil, dispersed oil, and dispersant from
feathers to mat together. This destroys the ability of the feathers reaching them.
to insulate the bird and to keep it afloat; birds may die from
5.10 Laboratory studies showed that chemically dispersed
+
exposure or drowning (6-8). crude oil more effectively reduced mucosal water and Na
5.2 Oiled bird rehabilitation is reasonably effective for
transfer in the intestines of mallard ducklings than undispersed
saving small numbers of oiled birds, but it has very limited crude oil (41) and that dispersant alone or mixed with crude oil,
potential for offsetting the population level effects of mortality
in an egg oiling experiment, was at least as toxic to bird
from surface oil (9, 10). However, endangered species or embryos as crude oil (42). Dispersant sprayed on water did not
colonies of uncommon species may be aided significantly by
affect mallard incubation or hatching success, and mallards
rehabilitation efforts. exposed to partially dispersed crude oil (less than 25 %
5.3 Methods developed for moving birds out of the path of
dispersion) had about the same hatching success as those
surface oil may be species specific or work only under a given exposed to undispersed crude oil (43). Ingested dispersant (150
set of circumstances; each situation must be evaluated sepa- ppm in diet) and ingested dispersant mixed with crude oil (150
rately (11). ppm dispersant and 1500 ppm oil in diet) had less of an effect
5.4 Studies of oil ingestion have been inconsistent in design on the weight gain and blood chemistry of young mallards than
but have generally shown that short-term ingestion can cause crude oil alone (1500 ppm in diet) (44).
detectable changes in avian physiology and behavior (12-19, et
6. Recommendations
al), and chronic ingestion can cause a variety of systemic
6.1 The primary effects of an oil spill on birds (plumage
effects (20-29, et al).
oiling, egg oiling, oil ingestion, habitat disruption) are caused
5.5 Eggs of breeding birds can be lethally oiled as a result of
by the floating oil. These effects can be reduced by moving the
oil transfer from the plumage of oiled adults (29-31). Only
birds, mechanically removing surface oil, or dispersing the oil
minute amounts of oil are needed to produce a significant
into the water column before it reaches birds or their habitat.
impact on hatching success (32-35, et al). The magnitude of the
6.2 Dispersants can be considered for use even after the oil
impact of oil ingestion and egg oiling on bird populations is
nears or enters habitat categories described in 4.2.1, 4.2.3, or
unknown.
4.2.5 because dispersed oil is unlikely to be as hazardous to
5.6 The contamination of an area by a large oil spill is often
birds as floating oil. Since the effect on birds of external
followed by a reduction of bird life in the vicinity of the spill
applications of concentrated dispersant is unknown, applica-
(36, 37). The causes of this exodus are unknown, but oil fumes
tions should be made with caution to avoid unnecessary aerial
and feeding difficulties are likely candidates. The effects of this
spraying of birds. Birds out of the oil or in very light surface oil
displacement of birds from one location to another are un-
should not be sprayed. Dispersants should not be sprayed on
known, but they would probably be most severe during the
habitat category (4.2.2). There is concern in the scientific
breeding season or in the winter.
community about the use of dispersants in coastal wetlands
5.7 Contamination of prime bird habitat, even during times
(4.2.4). This concern, with respect to birds, presently lacks a
of low use, may pose problems for the future; recovery from
strong scientific basis. Decisions about the use of chemical
the effects of oil on marshes and intertidal habitat may take
dispersants to protect birds in wetlands will have to be made on
years (38, 39).
a case-by-case basis.
5.8 The effects of chemically dispersed oil on birds in the
6.3 Cleanup of contaminated islands, beaches, or coastal
wild are not well known. Recent studies have shown that
wetlands is recommended only if breeding colonies are not
dispersant alone or dispersed crude oil had no greater impact
disturbed and if mechanical damage to the site can be mini-
on weight gain, organ weights, corticosterone levels, or plasma
mized.
thyroxine levels to herring gull and Leach’s storm petrel chicks
6.4 Government environmental agencies should be involved
than did crude oil alone (19, 23, 40).
in any decisions about
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