Technical Report TR_004 Technical report produced for Strategic Environmental Assessment – SEA2 CONTAMINANT STATUS OF THE NORTH SEA Produced by CEFAS August 2001 © Crown copyright TR_004.doc Strategic Environmental Assessment - SEA2 Technical Report 004 - Contamination CONTAMINANT STATUS OF THE NORTH SEA Dave Sheahan, Richard Rycroft, Yvonne Allen, Andrew Kenny, Claire Mason, Rachel Irish CEFAS CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 5 Chemicals used offshore ................................................................................................................ 5 Cuttings Piles .......................................................................................................................... 5 Produced Water ...................................................................................................................... 5 Chemicals in the environment......................................................................................................... 6 Water ................................................................................................................................ 6 Sediments ......................................................................................................................... 6 Biota .................................................................................................................................. 7 Evidence of biological effects.......................................................................................................... 7 Gaps in our understanding.............................................................................................................. 8 Regulatory controls ......................................................................................................................... 8 Future risks ..................................................................................................................................... 9 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 10 2. DATA SOURCES AND APPROACH............................................................................................ 10 3. CHEMICALS USED OFFSHORE ................................................................................................. 11 3.1Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 11 3.2Drilling Chemicals .................................................................................................................... 12 3.2.3 Quantifying Drilling Chemical Inputs ........................................................................ 15 3.3Production Chemicals.............................................................................................................. 16 3.4 Quantifying Production Chemical Inputs ............................................................................... 18 3.4.1 Northern North Sea ...................................................................................................... 18 3.4.2 Central North Sea..................................................................................................... 19 3.4.3 Southern North Sea.................................................................................................. 21 3.5Summary.................................................................................................................................. 24 4. CHEMICALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT......................................................................................... 25 4.1Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 25 4.2Water ....................................................................................................................................... 25 4.2.1 Total Hydrocarbons (THCs) ..................................................................................... 25 4.2.2 Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)......................................................................... 26 4.2.3 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)............................................................................ 27 4.2.4 Metals....................................................................................................................... 27 4.2.5 Alkylphenol ............................................................................................................... 28 4.3.7 Summary.................................................................................................................. 29 4.3Sediment.................................................................................................................................. 29 August 2001 1 Technical Report TR_004.doc Strategic Environmental Assessment - SEA2 Technical Report 004 - Contamination 4.3.1 Total Hydrocarbons.................................................................................................. 29 4.3.2 PAH.......................................................................................................................... 31 4.3.3 PCB.......................................................................................................................... 32 4.3.4 Metals....................................................................................................................... 33 4.3.5 Alkylphenols ............................................................................................................. 34 4.3.6 Summary.................................................................................................................. 35 4.4Biota......................................................................................................................................... 35 4.4.1 THC.......................................................................................................................... 35 4.4.2 PAH.......................................................................................................................... 36 4.4.3 PCB.......................................................................................................................... 37 4.4.4 Metals....................................................................................................................... 38 4.5Other Production Chemicals.................................................................................................... 39 4.5.1 Volatile aromatic hydrocarbons................................................................................ 39 4.5.2 Corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, gas treating chemicals................................... 39 4.5.3 Summary...................................................................................................................... 39 5. BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF INDUSTRY CONTAMINATION .................................................... 40 5.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................ 40 5.2 Biomarkers of contaminant exposure ................................................................................... 41 5.2.1 EROD Induction ....................................................................................................... 41 5.2.2 Bile Metabolites ........................................................................................................ 43 5.2.3 DNA adducts ............................................................................................................ 43 5.2.4 Lysosomal membrane damage................................................................................ 44 5.2.5 Immune response impairment ................................................................................. 44 5.2.6 Disease induction..................................................................................................... 45 5.3Scope for Growth..................................................................................................................... 45 5.4 Produced Water Toxicity....................................................................................................... 45 5.4.1 Bioconcentration....................................................................................................... 47 5.5Drill Cuttings Toxicity ............................................................................................................... 47 5.5.1 Endocrine Disruption................................................................................................ 49 5.6 ICES/IOC Pelagic Workshop ................................................................................................ 50 6. GAPS IN OUR UNDERSTANDING .............................................................................................. 50 7. REGULATORY CONTROLS ........................................................................................................ 51 8. FUTURE RISKS............................................................................................................................ 53 8.1Cuttings Piles ........................................................................................................................... 53 8.2Produced Water......................................................................................................................