A Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Assessment of the Persistence of Diesel Fuel Contaminants and Degradation Models Following a South Carolina Train Derailment

摘要

This research employs the methods of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to evaluate the weathering of persistent diesel fuel contaminants in the environment. The 2015 train derailment in Martin, SC, resulted in the release of approximately 15,000 l of diesel fuel. Because of historical considerations, the majority of the area was not excavated during response operations, and persistent contaminants are likely to remain present in sedimentation. The present study constructs models based upon the observed temporal weathering of contaminants at multiple locations within the area impacted by this incident. These models are then compared with another derived from the Automated Data Inquiry for Oil Spills software application. This comparison demonstrates the similarities and differences between the models and suggests that a limited number of deviations between model parameters and incident conditions do not necessarily render appropriately applied models ineffective for the representation of fuel behavior.