The Importance of Data Reliability and Usability When Assessing Impacts of Marine Mineral Oil Spills

Spilled mineral oils in the marine environment pose a number of challenges to sampling and analysis. Mineral oils are complex assemblages of hydrocarbons and additives, the composition of which can vary considerably depending on the source oil and product specifications. Further, the marine microbial and chemical environment can be harsh and variable over short times and distances, producing a rigorous source of hydrocarbon degradation of a mineral oil assemblage. Researchers must ensure that any measurements used to determine the nature and extent of the oil release, the fate and transport of the mineral oil constituents, and any resultant toxicological effects are derived using representative data that adhere to the study’s data quality objectives (DQOs). The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance for crafting obtainable DQOs and provide insights into producing reliable results that properly underpin researchers’ findings when scrutinized by others.