FINAL REPORT 

IGAP Unmet Needs Project – Oil Spill Monitoring Capacity - 8019

Tribe’s Name	Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc.

Environmental Contact Names	Bruce Wright and Karen Pletnikoff

Contact  Phone Number	907-222-4260

Grant Name	Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (GAP)  Unmet
Needs Project – Oil Spill Monitoring Capacity

Grant Number and Project Period	G- 96001901-1; Project Period: October
1, 2005 - December 31, 2009

EPA’s Project Officer Name and Address	  SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 Tami
Fordham, Tribal Coordinator

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Alaska Operations Office

222 West 7th Avenue, #19

Anchorage, AK 99513



INTRODUCTION

The oil pollution monitoring project is funded by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and was established to develop oil monitoring
protocol, increase local capacity, monitor subsistence areas, determine
if there is low-level PAH contamination, identify potential sources of
contamination, explore the establishment of regional monitoring
partnerships and increase the capacity of tribal environmental staff to
monitor for oil in the environment which could impact subsistence
resources. The baseline hydrocarbon data will be useful for supporting
the environmental impact statement for the exploration and development
of oil and gas in the North Aleutian Basin. This project developed a
program for monitoring the marine environment for oil from spills and
other pollution events including chronic releases of oil from the land,
natural seeps in the ocean and spills and discharges from sea going
vessels, perform monitoring of the water in Aleutian and Pribilof Island
villages and to provide recommendations based on the findings for the
long-term prevention of oil spills and pollution in the region. 

Passive samplers will be deployed for a month at a time, several times
throughout the year at several sites near the villages of Akutan, Atka,
False Pass, King Cove, Nikolski, St. George and St. Paul. 

Locals were trained (under contract through local Tribes) to deploy and
retrieve the passive samplers; analyses of the passive samplers will be
conducted by chemists at the Auke Bay Laboratory. Sampling locations
will include nearby subsistence areas as well as high use areas at each
general location.  

Passive samplers:  Passive accumulation devices (Figure 1) consist of a
container with a low density polyethylene membrane that allows organic
compounds to penetrate and absorb hydrocarbons over a period of time, in
contrast to a “grab” sample which is a “snap shot” in time.
Consequently, passive sampling devices are more effective in capturing
hydrocarbon signals from chronic low level events or events that are
intermittent, and they are very sensitive. Mussels are often used as
biological sampling devices in many habitats worldwide, but are often
not available on the coastlines of the Bering Sea, at least in numbers
that permit sampling across time and space.  

Figure 2. Tyler Melovidov is deploying a passive sampler in the
intertidal zone on St. Paul Island.

Passive samplers can sample large volumes of water, amplify trace
hydrocarbon quantities (part-per-billion or part-per-trillion) to
detectable levels, and average the signal over time. In addition, they
are cheaper and easier to analyze than biological tissue and can be
deployed over a greater range of environmental conditions. Composition
of PAH accumulated by the passive samplers can be used to identify
hydrocarbon sources in situations not complicated by multiple sources
(not the case with biological tissue samples). 

Usually the sampling for this project takes place in the ocean and along
the beaches, but we adapted the sampling design for a special situation
in Atka. Some of the residents of the new part of Atka have been
complaining of smelling diesel or gas in their water. We suspected the
water line may be attracting hydrocarbons where it traveled through a
polluted area and was transferring the pollution (diesel) to the
drinking water. For the first time for this project, we deployed a
sampling device in the freshwater holding tank for a month. The Atka
water tank sample had a total PAH of 82 parts per billion/device, and
very comparable to the controls. This means the water in the tank tested
at very, very low levels of hydrocarbons and is safe to drink from that
perspective based on this one test.

With the proposed development of the East Aleutian Basin Outer
Continental Shelf lease sale and environmental impact statement, APIA
requested Minerals Management Service (MMS) to continue our
community-based contaminant monitoring project. MMS is considering our
proposal.

OBJECTIVES

Objective 1. To increase the capacity of tribal environmental staff to
monitor for oil in the environment which could impact subsistence
resources.

Objective 2. To develop a program for monitoring the marine environment
for oil from spills and other pollution events including chronic
releases of oil from the land, natural seeps in the ocean and spills and
discharges from sea going vessels.

Objective 3. To perform monitoring of the water in villages on islands
neighboring to Unalaska where the Selendang Ayu oil spill occurred.

Objective 4. To provide recommendations based on the findings for the
long-term prevention of oil spills & pollution in the Aleut Region.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Objective 1. Increase the capacity of tribal environmental staff to
monitor for oil in the environment which could impact subsistence
resources.

We trained technicians, usually Tribal members who were IGAP
coordinators, to deploy the monitoring equipment and retrieve and ship
the samplers. The offshore deployment method (Appendix A) failed in some
locations, lost to strong currents and winds. The new method (Appendix
B) required on-site re-training of local technicians and tracking of
sampler recovery and second deployment and recovery (see Appendix C).
Accordingly, one community at a time was sampled with two deployments
each. Seven communities participated; Akutan, Atka, False Pass, King
Cove, Nikolski, St. George and St. Paul. 

Objective 2. Develop a program for monitoring the marine environment for
oil from spills and other pollution events including chronic releases of
oil from the land, natural seeps in the ocean and spills and discharges
from sea going vessels.

The surface sampling devices (see Appendix A) were deployed in Akutan,
St. Paul and Nikolski in FY 2006, but the sampling devices were lost in
two of the three villages where deployments took place. Strong currents
and large waves in Nikolski and St. George cause loss of offshore
mooring equipment. New methods (Appendix B) were developed using
on-shore deployments. Shipping of sampling devices has taken much time
to coordinate transportation of supplies (sampling devices) between Auke
Bay Lab and the field and back and additional time has been needed to
train local technicians and coordinate tracking of sampler recovery and
second deployment and recovery. Using the new methodology we were
finally successful developing the oil monitoring program. And, we
provided a proposal to US Minerals Management Service to continue
monitoring for hydrocarbons in Aleut communities.

Objective 3. Perform monitoring of the water in villages on islands
neighboring to Unalaska where the Selendang Ayu oil spill occurred.

Training in the first three communities (Akutan, Nikolski and St.
George) took place in April and May 2006. Akutan sampling went well even
with some early problems with shipping samples to the Juneau lab. Year 2
study design called for two deployments with three sampling stations
mounted onshore in each of the 7 communities. Sampling using the new
methods was completed in all 7 communities.

Objective 4. Provide recommendations based on the findings for the
long-term prevention of oil spills and pollution in the Aleut Region.

Results from the Akutan sampling lend evidence that the waters in most
of the monitored villages are not very contaminated with polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, occasional spills and active
incinerators and outfalls continue to be a concern for pollution.  The
shore-based redeployment in Akutan Harbor moved the sampling devices
close to mussel beds used for subsistence food and nearer the fish
processing plant; this resulted in a very high reading. During the first
deployment in Atka we also sampled the freshwater tank for PAHs. We
found no indication of hydrocarbon contamination in the water tank. We
strongly recommend continued monitoring in Aleut communities and further
investigation of the possibly pollution coming from the Akutan fish
processing plant. Year 2 study design altered significantly to overcome
severe weather conditions and to insure safety of local staff (see
APPENDIX B). Shore-based sampling replaced the offshore sampling.
Shipping problems were overcome with implementation of closely monitored
tracking. We recommend the methodology be followed in future PAH testing
projects.

Results

Total TPAH data summary for the Aleutian data: sorted by increasing TPAH
concentrations.

As for the general rules of interpretation, quality of data there are as
follows for good data and what modifications to these rules for this
data. The cleaner/tighter the blank and environmental samples are, the
stricter can be these rule applications. Unfortunately this data set has
the opposite application.

1.   Blanks should be TPAH < 100 ng/device, loosen to TPAH <
200ng/device for these data

2.   Environmental sample TPAH < 500ng/device, no real signal, loosen to
TPAH < 1000 ng/device for these data

3.   Environmental sample TPAH > 1000 ng/device start to be useful
signals for modeling, loosen to > 2000 ng/device for these data

4.   Having modified these data interp. rules, there still is the
problem from the model info below, that there is no clear or convincing
pattern of pyro/petro origin, i.e. things are all over the board.

Sorted by TPAH 



























	Data in RED are blanks ( 38 blanks)	82 total LDPE samples









	Aleutian/Pribilof Project 2006-2009



























SIN	Days exposed	Site	Date collected	Comments	QCBatch	TPAH  







	1700501	0	ABL	1-Mar-06	Lab Blank (batch 97)	F071806	0.00







	1702101	0	ABL	17-Jul-06	Lab Blank (Batch 104)	F071806	0.00







	1802901	0	ABL	25-Jan-08	Lab Blank	F062408	0.00







	1701401	0	ABL	12-Jun-06	Lab Blank (batch 100)	F072406	3.94







	1900102	0	ABL	21-Feb-08	Lab Blank	R082609	13.31







	1900101	0	ABL	21-Feb-08	Lab Blank	R081809	28.55







	1802906	33 days	Old Village Water Tank - Atka	11-Apr-08

F062408	43.95







	1800701	0	ABL	30-Apr-07	Trip Blank	R031308	44.99







	1802907	0	ABL-Atka-ABL	17-Apr-08	Trip Blank	F062408	53.75







	1800601	0	ABL	30-Apr-07	Lab Blank	R030408	109.82







	1900407	28 days	Chungusix Beach	11-May-08

F071408	123.83







	1702601	0	ABL	31-Jan-07	Lab Blank	R021108	129.88







	1701402

Entrance Pt (Akutan)	24-Jul-06	Collectors Code (AK001)	F081506	132.98







	1900303	30 days	S. Side - False Pass	17-Jul-08

R090109	140.12







	1800506	34 days	Nikolski - CoastGaurd Gate	4-Dec-07

R081809	150.64







	1800605	30 days	Nikolski - Moan Lisa	31-Oct-07

R031308	156.98







	1900403	0	ABL-Atka-ABL	19-May-08	Trip Blank	F062408	160.50







	1802905	33 days	Nazon Beach - Atka	11-Apr-08

F062408	180.20







	1800803	31 days	St Paul - Pier Point	24-Aug-07

R031308	181.41







	1701406	0	ABL - Akutan-ABL	31-Jul-06	Trip Blank	F081506	192.61







	1900201

East Landing-St. George	2-Feb-09

R082609	218.02







	1800508	34 days	Nikolski - Mona Lisa	4-Dec-07

R081809	227.09







	1800703	42 days	St. Paul - Outfall	27-Jun-07

R031308	229.65







	1700602

Akutan	20-Jun-06	Collectors Code (AK001)	F071806	239.06







	1900202

North - St. George	2-Feb-09

R082609	239.37







	1900404	28 days	Dump Beach	11-May-08

F062408	257.53







	1900103	0	ABL-King Cove-ABL	27-Oct-08	Trip Blank	R082609	285.74







	1800603	30 days	Nikoski - Coast Guard	31-Oct-07

R030408	287.31







	1900401	33 days	New Subdivision - Nazon Bay? -Atka	11-Apr-08

F062408	290.10







	1900604	5 min?	?	?	Field Blank	R090109	296.70







	1900204

East Landing-St. George	2-Feb-09	Field Blank ?	R082609	299.02







	1802902	10 min	Nazon Beach - Atka	9-Mar-08	Field Blank	F062408	311.65







	1800403	32 days	Akutan-east	5-Jun-07

R030408	319.93







	1802904	33 days	Nazon Beach - Atka	11-Apr-08

F062408	369.73







	1900502

North - St. George	4-Mar-09

R090109	370.22







	1900205

ABL-St. George-ABL

Trip Blank	R082609	376.21







	1800604	30 days	Nikoski - Boat Launch	31-Oct-07

R030408	394.82







	1900107	5 min?	?	?	Field Blank	R082609	400.22







	1900605	0	ABL-King Cove-ABL	28-Jul-08	Trip Blank	R090109	411.30







	1702602	0	Trip Blank	18-Apr-07	Trip Blank	R021108	421.04







	1900504

Wind, South - St. George	4-Mar-09 ?	Field Blank ?	R090109	422.99







	1700603

Akutan	20-Jun-06	Collectors Code (AK002)	F071806	423.27







	1800706	0	ABL-St.Paul-ABL	6-Jul-07	Trip Blank	R031308	427.60







	1800404	?	Akutan (FB/TB?)	?	seal broken field/trip blank? where?
R030408	430.63







	1701404

Across The Bay (Akutan)	24-Jul-06	Collectors Code (AK003)	F081506	469.60







	1700604

Akutan	20-Jun-06	Collectors Code (AK003)	F071806	471.51







	1701405	0	Head Of Bay ? (Akutan)	20-Jun-06	Field Blank @ AK002?	F081506
475.27







	1802903	33 days	Puyakix Beach - Atka	11-Apr-08

F062408	487.52







	1900203

South - St. George	2-Feb-09

R082609	503.61







	1800602	10 min?	Nikoski (Coast Guard)	1-Oct-07	Field Blank	R030408
520.21







	1900402	28 days	Puyakix Beach - Atka	11-May-08

F062408	539.17







	1900106	37 days	Airport Beach - King Cove	28-Aug-08

R082609	540.56







	1800507	34 days	Nikoski - Boat Launch	4-Dec-07

R081809	577.75







	1702604	32 days	Akutan-east	13-Apr-07

R021108	590.06







	1900304	5 min?	False Pass	17-Jul-08 ?	Field Blank	R090109	608.31







	1900305	0	TSMRI - False Pass - TSMRI	24-Jul-08 ?	Trip Blank	R090109
678.78







	1800702	10 min?	St. Paul - Rookery 	16-May-07	Field Blank	R031308
681.48







	1800801	31 days	St. Paul - Island Harbor	24-Aug-07

R031308	687.51







	1800405	?	Akutan (FB/TB?)	?	seal broken field/trip blank? where?
R030408	697.15







	1900505

ABL-St. George-ABL

Trip Blank	R090109	769.36







	1900301	30 days	N. Side - False Pass	17-Jul-08

R082609	802.44







	1800606	0	ABL-Nikoski-ABL	8-Nov-07	Trip Blank	R031308	818.00







	1800704	42 days	St. Paul - Island Harbor	27-Jun-07

R031308	834.46







	1900603	30 days	Airport Lagoon - King Cove	21-Jul-08

R090109	913.19







	1800804	10 min?	?	24-Aug-07	Field Blank	R031308	931.94







	1702603	15 min	Field Blank - Location?	13-Apr-07	Field Blank	R021108
991.51







	1800503	0	ABL-Nikolski-ABL	26-Dec-07	Trip Blank	R081809	1001.15







	1800502	15 min	Field Blank - Nikiski	31-Oct-07	Field Blank	F062408
1053.57







	1800805	0	ABL-St.Paul-ABL	24-Aug-07	Trip Blank	R031308	1254.93







	1700601	0	Akutan	12-May-06	Field Blank	F071806	1407.99







	1702605	32 days	Akutan-center	13-Apr-07

R021108	1682.62







	1700605	0	ABL - Akutan-ABL	11-Jul-06	Trip Blank	F071806	1775.11







	1900601	30 days	Below Esiahs - King Cove	21-Jul-08

R090109	1814.91







	1701403

Head Of Bay (Akutan)	24-Jul-06	Collectors Code (AK002)	F081506	1894.02







	1900104	37 days	Beach Below Esiahs - King Cove	28-Aug-08

R082609	2284.93







	1900105	37 days	Harbor Bridge - King Cove	28-Aug-08

R082609	2394.26







	1702606	32 days	Akutan-west	13-Apr-07	Very sticky film on puck	R021108
3087.17







	1900602	30 days	Harbor Bridge - King Cove	21-Jul-08

R090109	3118.53







	1800402	32 days	Akutan-center	5-Jun-07

R030408	3408.22







	1900302	30 days	PPSF - False Pass	17-Jul-08

R082609	7188.01







	1800401	32 days	Akutan-west	5-Jun-07

R021108	52594.97







	1800501	0	ABL	30-Apr-07	Lab Blank (lost)









	1800504

SIN never Assigned	SIN never Assigned	SIN never Assigned









	1800505

SIN never Assigned	SIN never Assigned	SIN never Assigned









	1800705

St. Paul - Rookery 

Lost? Never rec'd









	1800802

St. Paul - Outfall

Puck apart @ receipt no LDPE









	1900405

NO SAMPLE  - Line Blank











	1900406

NO SAMPLE  - Line Blank











	1900501

East Landing-St. George	4-Mar-09	Sample Lost?









	1900503

South - St. George	4-Mar-09	Sample Lost?



























DISCUSSION

The laboratory blanks are within tolerances, but many of the field and
trip blanks are high and indicate some level of contamination possibly
from shipping and/or storage. Further investigation may reveal what
happened with the blanks but currently the models cannot discern the
problem with these inconsistent data.

Figure 3. This is the incinerator at the Trident fish processing plant.
It is used to burn cardboard, wood and a variety of plastic materials.

The field samples TPAH range 44 to 53000 with Akutan having the highest
reading. The PAH weathering model indicates the source of the PAHs as
combustion byproducts. This may be explained by the active incinerator
found at the Trident fish processing facility only a few hundred meters
from the village (Figure 3).

Below are the PAH data by village.

Akutan

Entrance Pt (Akutan)	24-Jul-06	F081506	132.98

Akutan	20-Jun-06	F071806	239.06

Akutan-east	5-Jun-07	R030408	319.93

Akutan	20-Jun-06	F071806	423.27

Across The Bay (Akutan)	24-Jul-06	F081506	469.60

Akutan	20-Jun-06	F071806	471.51

Akutan-east	13-Apr-07	R021108	590.06

Akutan-center	13-Apr-07	R021108	1682.62

Head Of Bay (Akutan)	24-Jul-06	F081506	1894.02

Akutan-west	13-Apr-07	R021108	3087.17

Akutan-center	5-Jun-07	R030408	3408.22

Akutan-west	5-Jun-07	R021108	52594.97



Atka 

Old Village Water Tank - Atka	11-Apr-08	F062408	43.95

Chungusix Beach	11-May-08	F071408	123.83

Nazon Beach - Atka	11-Apr-08	F062408	180.20

Dump Beach	11-May-08	F062408	257.53

	Nazon Beach - Atka	11-Apr-08	F062408	369.73

Puyakix Beach - Atka	11-Apr-08	F062408	487.52

Puyakix Beach - Atka	11-May-08	F062408	539.17



False Pass 

S. Side - False Pass	17-Jul-08	R090109	140.12

N. Side - False Pass	17-Jul-08	R082609	802.44

PPSF - False Pass	17-Jul-08	R082609	7188.01



King Cove 

Airport Beach - King Cove	28-Aug-08	R082609	540.56

Airport Lagoon - King Cove	21-Jul-08	R090109	913.19

Below Esiahs - King Cove	21-Jul-08	R090109	1814.91

Beach Below Esiahs - King Cove	28-Aug-08	R082609	2284.93

Harbor Bridge - King Cove	28-Aug-08	R082609	2394.26

Harbor Bridge - King Cove	21-Jul-08	R090109	3118.53



Nikolski 

Nikolski - CoastGaurd Gate	4-Dec-07	R081809	150.64

Nikolski - Moan Lisa	31-Oct-07	R031308	156.98

Nikolski - Mona Lisa	4-Dec-07	R081809	227.09

Nikoski - Coast Guard	31-Oct-07	R030408	287.31

Nikoski - Boat Launch	31-Oct-07	R030408	394.82

Nikoski - Boat Launch	4-Dec-07	R081809	577.75



St. George 

East Landing-St. George	2-Feb-09	R082609	218.02

North - St. George	2-Feb-09	R082609	239.37

North - St. George	4-Mar-09	R090109	370.22

South - St. George	2-Feb-09	R082609	503.61



St. Paul

St Paul - Pier Point	24-Aug-07	R031308	181.41

St. Paul - Outfall	27-Jun-07	R031308	229.65

St. Paul - Island Harbor	24-Aug-07	R031308	687.51

St. Paul - Island Harbor	27-Jun-07	R031308	834.46



CONCLUSIONS

This project was fully successful in meeting the objectives. We
increased the capacity of tribal environmental staff to monitor for oil
in the environment which could impact subsistence resources. We
developed a program for monitoring the marine environment for oil from
spills and other pollution events including chronic releases of oil from
the land, natural seeps in the ocean and spills and discharges from sea
going vessels. We performed monitoring of the water in villages on
islands neighboring to Unalaska where the Selendang Ayu oil spill
occurred. Our recommendations based on the findings for the long-term
prevention of oil spills & pollution in the Aleut Region. Results from
the Akutan sampling lend evidence that the waters in most of the
monitored villages are not very contaminated with PAHs, but occasional
spills and active incinerators and outfalls continue to be a concern for
pollution. We strongly recommend continued monitoring in Aleut
communities and further investigation of the possibly pollution coming
from the Akutan fish processing plant. We recommend the methodology (see
APPENDIX B) be followed in future PAH testing projects.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

During this project many people offered their time, knowledge and
support. Their help in making this a useful and informative project was
greatly appreciated. Thanks to:

Santina Baumeister, George Bereskin, Cara Bethe, Michael Brubaker, Mark
Carls, Tami Fordham, Charley (Akutan), Siri Goulette, Larry Holland,
Scott Kerr, Patricia (St. George), Tyler Melovidov, Jeep Rice, Desirae
Roehl, Billy Shellikoff, Gilda Shellikoff,      (Akutan)      
Stepenson, Andrew Zaochney and Phil Zavadil 

APPENDIX A

Standard Operating Procedures for Preparing, Handling, Deploying,
Retrieving and Shipping Polyethylene Membrane Devices (PEMDs) 

Introduction 

Passive accumulation devices (PADs) are hydrophilic (fat loving)
membranes with or without hydrophilic reservoirs and they are designed
to sample non-polar hydrophobic hydrocarbons, including polynuclear
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (oil and petroleum products) and persistent
organic pollutants (POPs) (contaminants like PCBs) from air, water, and
sediment. A commercially available PAD commonly available in the USA is
the semi-permeable membrane device (SPMD); its central reservoir is
triolein (e.g., Huckins et al. 1990). Hydrocarbons in SPMDs diffuse
through pores in the membranes and are trapped in the central triolein
matrix, mimicking uptake by living organisms. Advantages of passive
sampling are that they can sample large volumes of water, amplify trace
hydrocarbon quantities (part-per-billion or part-per-trillion) to
detectable levels, and average the signal over time. In addition, they
are cheaper and easier to analyze than biological tissue and can be
deployed over a greater range of environmental conditions.

 

At low ambient hydrocarbon concentrations, low-density polyethylene
membrane devices (PEMDs) deployed without inclusion of the central
hydrocarbon reservoir are simpler and less expensive sampling devices
than SPMDs, yet provide the same benefits (Carls et al. 2004). Loss of
accumulated PAH is slow, thus PEMDs reliably capture sporadic or
fluctuating events. Composition of PAH accumulated by PEMDs can be used
to identify hydrocarbon sources in situations not complicated by
multiple sources. At the Auke
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Low-density polyethylene tubing (98 μm × 4.9 cm × 50 cm) is sonicated
twice in pentane to remove hydrocarbons, placed in aluminum samplers
(11.5 diameter × 6.6 cm with perforated endplates, 3 mm holes spaced
4.8 mm apart, precleaned in dichloromethane), wrapped with two layers of
aluminum foil, heat-sealed in two plastic bags, and frozen until
shipment (Fig. 1; Carls et al. 2004). 



Caution 

These devices are incredibly sensitive!!! Be careful!!! 

PEMDs sample both air and water and tiny unwanted quantities can swamp
the target signal! For example, a venting gas tank in a skiff is very
bad. (Solution – do not fill the tanks full!) The person who deploys
or retrieves the PEMDs should NOT be the same one running the engine,
handling the trailer, or fiddling with gas!!! Petroleum products have a
way of migrating from hands/clothing to the PEMDs. Open the devices only
when ready to deploy without delay; wrap and bag them without delay upon
retrieval. Practice your moves and carefully arrange your tools ahead of
time to minimize time and the possibility of contamination. Wear
disposable gloves and change them between every set and retrieval. If
available, an assistant (also with clean gloves) can open or close
pails/bags. Do not allow devices to come in contact with clothing, the
boat etc; it should go straight from bag to water and vice versa. Design
your fastening system to work with minimal effort – rusty shackles
that require wrenches add time and increase the odds of unwanted
contamination. Any necessary tools should be cleaned ahead of time; this
may include the boat. Oil or gas weeping from a boat will ruin samples! 

Deployment & Retrieval 

These safety rules MUST be followed when deploying PEMDs from a boat: 

1) Leave a float plan with a friend or family member.

2) Two people are required to deploy PEMDs from a boat.

3) Wear a personal floatation device (PFD).

4) Take a VHF radio and make sure the battery is charged.

5) Have flares, light, or signaling device in working order.

6) Have enough fuel (but don’t overfill).

7) Report to your friend upon your return.

The general strategy is to determine where the devices are to be
located, deploy suitable anchors for them, then deploy sampling device.
All hardware must be very clean; hydrocarbons that leach from anchor
cable, for example, will become the sample, compromising the study.
“Very clean” typically means solvent-washed in the laboratory and
transported appropriately (e.g., in Ziploc bags) so that hydrocarbons
are not accumulated along the way. Anchors, other hardware, floats, and
rope can be reused repeatedly without further cleaning assuming that it
is not contaminated during exchanges. New rope (nylon, polypropylene)
does not cause contamination. Do not use old rope that has an unknown
history or rope that has been exposed to bilge water, etc. Rope should
be placed in suitable bags (e.g., garbage or Ziploc bags) when
transported to avoid contamination! The same is true for transportation
of every other item and tool. 

Clean bags are acceptable storage for PEMDs, tools, & gear. Start with
new clean Ziploc and garbage bags and keep them clean in other bags & in
pails. 

Five gallon pails are excellent for transportation and collection. Buy
new ones and keep the insides clean! Stacking pails with hydrocarbons
stuck to the outside will contaminate pail insides! (Buckets can be
stacked if lined with clean garbage bags.) Screw-top lids are very
useful in this context and a variety of colors is recommended buckets
are easily distinguished (see Table 1 for example bucket contents). Two
or three half-gallon plastic drinking containers placed inside can
provide structure for pails used for tools and small gear (Fig. 2).
Place bagged PEMDs inside garbage bags inside pails. When open, place
lids upside down (inside showing) on the ground or other surfaces to
avoid transferring potential external contamination into buckets. Keep
buckets closed as much as possible.

 

Deployment. Do not open a PEMD until you are ready to place it. Put on
clean disposable gloves. Tear through the two heat-sealed Ziploc bags
and remove the aluminum foil. A second person to manage the waste can be
helpful, particularly under windy conditions. Fasten the PEMD onto its
anchoring device and back/drift away. (Do not contaminate newly
installed devices by standing upstream of them, running boat exhaust by
them, etc.) 

Retrieval. Retrieval is essentially the reverse of deployment and should
occur first when swapping. ‘Collection kits’ are needed; these are
simply pre-cut aluminum foil sheets placed in Ziploc bags. Arrange
collection gear to optimize efficiency and minimize time; put on clean
disposable gloves. Retrieve the PEMD; this may require tools, such as
wire cutters, wrenches, etc. Be sure to swirl sediment out of the
canister with the water it has been in. Fold the shackle to the canister
and place the PEMD at the center of an aluminum sheet; fold to cover
completely. Repeat with a second sheet, starting at the opposite side.
(A helper makes this process easier, particularly in wind. Avoid contact
with clothing!) Then place the PEMD in a Ziploc bag; close (with as
little air as practical). Place this in a second Ziploc bag. Add a label
and seal. Put this package in a garbage bag inside a bucket. Depending
on time and sampling circumstances, you might wish to bundle groups of
PEMDs in separate garbage bags, tied shut at intervals to minimize any
possibility of contamination. Freeze as soon as possible. 

Blanks. Site blanks are a necessary quality assurance technique. Open
one container per site / trip, depending upon agreed-upon design. Expose
to air about 1 minute, then re-bag, label, and freeze as above. 

Labels & record keeping. Make labels out of paper; “Rite in the
rain” all weather paper is nice. Pre-printed labels with a minimum of
necessary identification information are nice; keep them clean in a
small Ziploc bag. Each label should have a sample number; use a pencil
to write the information. Place labels outside of the inner PEMD bag and
inside the second bag. A complete record of collection, including
location and time should be kept in a separate notebook. In addition,
complete chain of custody forms; these are required by the Auke Bay
Laboratory for record keeping and processing (Table 2). 

Stream deployment 

Subdivide streams into oiled/polluted (typically downstream) and
non-oiled/non-polluted (upstream) sections. Non-oiled sites are intended
to be stream-specific references. Identify and similarly sample matched
reference streams. Where feasible, consider determining stream gradients
and place samplers at the same elevation in multiple streams. Be aware,
however, that stream gradients can vary considerably, thus site
elevations and spacing between sites cannot always be uniform from
stream-to-stream. To sample the hyporheic zone, bury the PEMDs below the
stream bed (e.g., 10 to 20 cm deep; Fig. 3; Carls et al. 2004).
Sometimes stream activity will excavate buried devices. PEMDS can be
anchored with duckbill anchors (attach shackle to cable with zip ties)
or weighted polypropylene mesh bags. Partially fill anchor bags with
stream rock. Mark positions with GPS. Floats located downstream of the
PEMD, stakes or cairns on the bank, or other identifying marks can be
helpful. Photographs are also helpful for locating PEMDs. 

Intertidal deployment 

We have successfully used several techniques for anchoring PEMDs in
intertidal areas. These include weighted bags, duckbill anchors, and
expansion bolts drilled into rock. Zip ties or nylon rope are used as
connectors. PEMDs can be buried or placed on the surface, depending on
objectives. Objectives should also be considered when deciding sampler
elevation. 

Marine water deployment 

Place anchors on polypropylene rope in desired depth of water. Consider
using chain on Danforth anchors, then rope (Fig. 3). Alternatively,
fasten the rope to the anchor and place a lead cannonball weight about
10’ up the rope: this should force the anchor to dig. When tying rope
to anchors, be sure to smooth sharp edges on the anchor if present –
or use a shackle. Make eye splices with protective sleeves if possible,
or reweave rope ends back into the rope several times after knotting
(e.g., bowline or rewoven figure eight). Use 3/8” line or larger. Keep
float sizes small to reduce lift on the anchors – but large enough to
float the hardware and big enough that you can find them. Bullet or
seine floats are ok. Assuming the anchors (& other bottom hardware) are
reasonably clean (consider a detergent wash) and that there are several
meters between the anchor and buoy, solvent cleaning isn’t needed.
Allow enough line for tidal fluctuation, extra slack, etc. Consider
weighting partway down so it sinks to prevent navigation hazard. 

Gear has a better chance of surviving if placed outside the surf zone
and on a broad flat shelf. Lines will eventually part if there is too
much wave energy, so inspect them periodically for wear. Anchors have a
habit of moving around even if they initially appear to be well set; if
they slide too far down a slope the buoys will be pulled under and the
gear will be lost. 

Deploy/retrieve sequence: set anchor, mark position with GPS. Shut
engine off!!! Swing on the anchor until fumes clear from the air. No
smoking; it will contaminate the sampler. Only then, deploy (or
retrieve) the PEMD. 

Subsurface deployment. PEMDs deployed below the surface are designed to
assess average hydrocarbon concentrations in various water layers. We
typically deploy 1 m below the surface to characterize this layer. The
most efficient method is to pass a loop of anchor rope through the
shackle on the PEMD and around the PEMD, then cinch it tight (Fig. 4).
In our experience, the PEMD will stay put (not sink) on 3/8”
polypropylene rope and 3/8” may be the largest rope diameter possible
for this method. To preclude sinking, consider hanging the PEMD from a
loop attached directly to the 

buoy; the disadvantage is that this can snarl. Another way to stop
potential sinking is to place a knot in the anchor rope below the device
loop. For line larger than 3/8” a second larger shackle will be
necessary (precleaned, of course). Obviously, a knot (e.g., butterfly)
can be placed in the anchor line at the appropriate depth (e.g., 1 m
below the buoy) and the PEMD can be shackled to it. Shackles can add
time at retrieval and are difficult when rusty. One solution is to place
a rope loop between both shackles, again passed around the PEMD. (An
effective knot for making loops is the double fisherman’s bend; Fig.
5). Shackles could be potentially linked together with zip ties, but
this has not yet been tried with this type of deployment and is not
recommended. 

Surface deployment. PEMDs deployed at the surface are designed to sample
the surface microlayer. Well known is the propensity for hydrophobic
compounds to accumulate in this layer, increasing the probability of
detecting very low hydrocarbon levels. A technique we previously used
was to pass a threaded shaft through the center of the PEMD canister;
floats were placed at each end of the shaft and the PEMD shackle was
tied to the anchor rope. A major disadvantage with this system was that
field assembly was necessary and slow. A suggested modification is to
revise the sequence; place the two floats near the center of the shaft
with a gap for a shackle; this will connect to the anchor rope (Fig 6).
Place a dummy (or replicate) PEMD at one end of the shaft; place another
PEMD at the other end. These will be held in place with nylon-bushed
nuts to prevent unthreading. Two nuts at each end are advisable and an
ancillary rope or cable from the PEMD shackle to the anchor line is
possible. 

Shipping 

PEMDs in buckets and bagged as outlined above can be shipped via Alaska
Air Freight. Indicate that the buckets are to be kept frozen. General
delivery is ok under these conditions. If freezers aren’t working or
are not available, then ship priority (or Gold Streak). 

Laboratory Analysis 

PEMDs are extracted with organic solvent after wiping to remove gross
surface contamination. Membranes are placed in centrifuge tubes and
spiked with six deuterated PAH standards (Carls et al. 2004). Spike
solvent (hexane) is allowed to evaporate, then the tubes are placed in a
sonic bath, and extracted in 80:20 ml pentane/dichloromethane for 130
min. The sonicator is on for the first 20 min of each 50 min period. The
PEMDs are rinsed with pentane as they were removed without delay after
the final sonication. 

Extracts are concentrated to 20 to 30 ml, dried with 2 to 4 g of sodium
sulfate,concentrated to 1 to 2 ml in hexane, and passed through 1.5 g
silica gel columns. All extracts were spiked with an internal standard
(hexamethyl benzene) and frozen pending analysis. 

Extracts are analyzed by gas chromatography equipped with a mass
selective detector and PAH concentrations are determined by the internal
standard method (Short et al. 1996). Experimentally determined method
detection limits (MDL) are generally 0.18 to 3.94 ng/g in PEMDs.
Concentrations below MDL are considered equivalent to zero and are not
reported. The accuracy of the hydrocarbon analyses is typically about "
15% based on comparison with National Institute of Standards and
Technology values, and precision expressed as coefficient of variation
is usually less than about 20%, depending on the PAH. Samples with
questionable internal standard recoveries (< 25% or > 150%) are
typically excluded from analyses unless the results can be independently
corroborated by other data. 

References 

Carls, M.G., L.G. Holland, J.W. Short, R. A. Heintz, and S. D. Rice.
2004. Monitoring polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous
environments with passive low-density polyethylene membrane devices.
Environ Toxicol Chem 23:1416-1424. 

Huckins JN, Tubergen MW, Manuweera GK. 1990. Semipermeable membrane
devices containing model lipid: a new approach to monitoring the
bioavailability of lipophilic contaminants and estimating their
bioconcentration potential. Chemosphere 20:533-552. 

Short JW, Jackson TJ, Larsen ML, Wade TL. 1996. Analytical methods used
for the analysis of hydrocarbons in crude oil, tissues, sediments, and
seawater collected for the natural resources damage assessment of the
Exxon Valdez oil spill. Am Fish Soc Symp 18:140-148. 

Table 1. Example equipment and supply lists, arranged by bucket. Buckets
with colored screw-top lids are one convenient way to transport gear and
retrieve PEMDs. A four-bucket system is used in this example, each
dedicated to a specific purpose. On a first trip, an installation bucket
with appropriate gear might be substituted for the pickup kit. 

Yellow 	Red 

Pickup kit 	Equipment kit 

field notebook 	YSI salinity, temperature meter 

labels 	Sonar (handheld) 

Aluminum foil 	GPS 

Disposable gloves 	VHF radio 

Ziploc bags 	pens, pencils, markers 

garbage bags, large, black 	knife 

garbage bags, small, white 	wrench(es) 

nut driver 

cutters 

Blue 	wire cutters 

PEMD deployment kit 	screw drivers 

New PEMDs 	spare batteries 

marlinspike or fid or plastic stake 

White 

PEMD retrieval kit 

garbage bags 

retrieved PEMDs 

Supplies	Quantity	Cost per unit	Total

gloves	3 boxes



samplers	21	Provided by ABL	0

1” poly line	2,100 feet



buoys	9



40# anchors	9



10# lead balls	9



Misc. hardware	Line eyes, small rope, shackle, etc.

~$250

Float coat PFD	6



write-in-the-rain notebook	3



write-in-the-rain pens	12



sharpies	6



Sample shipping supplies (boxes, tape, etc)	For 18 shipments



Coolers/buckets 	3





Table 2. Example chain of custody form required by the Auke Bay
Laboratory as a data record and for analytical processing. 

APPENDIX B

Year 2 study design altered significantly to overcome severe weather
conditions and to insure safety of local staff. Shore-based sampling
will replace the offshore sampling. Shipping problems have been overcome
with implementation of closely monitored tracking.

Oil Spill Capacity Building, Preparedness and Monitoring Project

Standard Operating Procedures for Handling, Deploying, Retrieving and
Shipping Polyethylene Membrane Devices (PEMDs) 

Introduction 

Passive accumulation devices (PADs) are hydrophilic (fat loving)
membranes designed to sample non-polar hydrophobic hydrocarbons,
including polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (oil and petroleum
products) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (contaminants like
PCBs) from air, water and sediment. Advantages of passive sampling are
they can sample large volumes of water, amplify trace hydrocarbon
quantities (parts-per-trillion) to detectable levels and average the
signal over time. In addition, they are cheaper and easier to analyze
than biological tissue and can be deployed over a greater range of
environmental conditions. The PAD we will be using contains a
polyethylene membrane and is called a polyethylene membrane device
(PEMD), but it is often referred to as a ‘puck’ (Figure 1).

 

Deployment & Retrieval 

Low-density polyethylene sampling material is placed in the pucks,
wrapped with two layers of aluminum foil, heat-sealed in two plastic
bags and frozen until shipment (Fig. 1; Carls et al. 2004). They will be
shipped in a 5 gallon plastic bucket. Auke Bay Lab scientist Larry
Holland will prepare 5 of these devices for each bucket. The contacts at
Auke Bay Lab are Larry Holland (telephone 907-789-6083 and e-mail  
HYPERLINK "mailto:larry.holland@noaa.gov"  larry.holland@noaa.gov ) who
is a chemist and Mark Carls (telephone 907-789-6019 and e-mail  
HYPERLINK "mailto:mark.carls@noaa.gov"  mark.carls@noaa.gov ) who is a
biologist. 

PEMDs sample both air and water and tiny unwanted quantities of
contaminants can swamp the target signal. For example, someone smoking a
cigarette nearby can damage the PEMD. So be cautious, these devices are
incredibly sensitive!!! Petroleum products have a way of migrating from
hands and clothing to the PEMDs. Open the PEMDs protective plastic and
foil only when ready to deploy without delay; wrap and bag them without
delay upon retrieval. Practice your moves and carefully arrange your
tools ahead of time to minimize time and the possibility of
contamination. Wear disposable gloves and change them between every set
and retrieval. Do not allow devices to come in contact with clothing; it
should go straight from bag to the rock and vice versa. 

Bruce Wright, the APIA project manager, will assist in establishing the
sampling sites and anchoring locations. You will be trained how to
deploy and retrieve the pucks without contaminating them. The only tool
you need is a clean wrench. This will be provided. You will be provided
with wrenches, write in rain paper labels, pencils, indelible ink
markers, 1 gallon Ziploc bags, chain of custody forms (coming from ABL
w/PEMD), latex gloves and aluminum foil in Ziploc bags.

Five gallon pails are excellent for transporting and collecting PEMDs.
When open, place lids upside down (inside showing) on the ground or
other surfaces to avoid transferring potential external contamination
into buckets. Keep buckets closed as much as possible.

Do not open a PEMD until you are ready to place it. Put on clean
disposable gloves. Tear through the two heat-sealed Ziploc bags and
remove the aluminum foil. A second person to manage the waste can be
helpful, particularly under windy conditions. Fasten the PEMD onto its
anchoring.

Retrieval and Deployment: Monthly Sampling

Retrieval is essentially the reverse of deployment. ‘Collection
kits’ are needed; these are simply pre-cut aluminum foil sheets placed
in Ziploc bags. Arrange collection gear to optimize efficiency and
minimize time; put on clean disposable gloves. Retrieve the PEMD using
the wrench. Disconnect the redundant safety cable. (see Figure 3).

 

Figure 2. Puck mounted to bedrock and attached redundant cable also
mounted to bedrock.

Be sure to flush sediment out of the canister with seawater. Fold the
shackle to the canister and place the PEMD at the center of an aluminum
sheet; fold to cover completely. Repeat with a second sheet, starting at
the opposite side. (A helper makes this process easier, particularly in
wind. Avoid contact with clothing!) Then place the PEMD in a Ziploc bag;
close (with as little air as practical). Place this in a second Ziploc
bag. Add a label and seal (The labels can be prepared before going into
the field and contain the following information: date, location,
operator and notes such as contamination problems). Put this package
inside the bucket. Ship the bucket as soon as possible (address/shipping
label below). 

During each trip to each sampling station you should inspect the
sampling apparatus for corrosion and wear. Alert Bruce Wright if you
believe there is a problem. Clean any biofouling (kelp, algae,
barnacles, mussels, etc.) from the sampling apparatus. 

Field Blanks.. Field or site blanks are a necessary quality assurance
technique. Open the plastic bags and remove the foil layers, expose to
air about 1 minute, then re-bag and label. Label the field blank. Any of
the pucks can be used as a field blank or trip blank.

Trip Blanks. Any of the pucks can be used as a field blank or trip
blank. Carry the trip blank with you, in the bucket with the samples and
field blank. Don’t open or deploy the trip blank. There is no need to
label the trip blank; it just rides along and insures the chemist back
at Auke Bay Lab that clean procedures are being followed and the samples
are not being compromised. Never open the trip blank!

Labels & record keeping. Make labels out of paper; “Rite in the
rain” all weather paper is nice. Pre-printed labels with a minimum of
necessary identification information are nice; keep them clean in a
small Ziploc bag. Each label should have a sample number, location,
operator and date; use a pencil to write the information. Place labels
outside of the inner PEMD bag and inside the second bag. A complete
record of collection, including location and time should be kept in a
separate notebook. 

The chain of custody forms will be included in the bucket. The chain of
custody form is required by the Auke Bay Laboratory for record keeping
and processing (example: Figure 3). Complete these forms after
recovering the PEMDs from the field. Include as much information as you
can, although you may not be able to complete all categories indicated.
Make a copy of the chain of custody for your files and send the original
back to Auke Bay Lab in the same bucket as the 5 PEMDs.

Shipping 

Put PEMDs in bucket and bagged as outlined above. The bucket should be
shipped via priority U.S. Mail. Ship collect or, if you pay for
shipping, keep the receipt so you can get reimbursed. The shipping
labels are below.

References 

Carls, M.G., L.G. Holland, J.W. Short, R. A. Heintz, and S. D. Rice.
2004. Monitoring polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous
environments with passive low-density polyethylene membrane devices.
Environ Toxicol Chem 23:1416-1424. 

Short JW, Jackson TJ, Larsen ML, Wade TL. 1996. Analytical methods used
for the analysis of hydrocarbons in crude oil, tissues, sediments, and
seawater collected for the natural resources damage assessment of the
Exxon Valdez oil spill. Am Fish Soc Symp 18:140-148. 

Table 1. Supplies needed for deployment and retrieval of PEMDs:

new PEMDs (5)

aluminum foil 

disposable gloves (large)

wrenches

Attachment supplies

pencil 

chain of custody forms

Ziploc bags 



Table 2. OIL MONITORING CONTACTS

	ALEUTIAN PRIBILOF ISLANDS ASSOCIATION

Primary Contact: 	Bruce Wright, Senior Scientist

Address: 	1131 E. International Airport Rd. , Anchorage, AK 99518 

Telephone: 	(907) 222-4260 or (800) 478-2742 

Fax: 	(907) 222-4273 

Email: 	  HYPERLINK "mailto:brucew@apiai.org"  brucew@apiai.org 





AUKE BAY LAB

Primary Contact: 	Larry Holland, Chemist 

Secondary Contact: 	Mark Carls, Biologist 

Address: 	17109 Pt. Lena Loop Road ,Juneau, AK 99801

Phone: 	(907) 789-6083 or (907) 789-6019 

Fax: 	(907) 789-6094 

Email: 	  HYPERLINK "mailto:larry.holland@noaa.gov" 
larry.holland@noaa.gov  &   HYPERLINK "mailto:mark.carls@noaa.gov" 
mark.carls@noaa.gov  



APPENDIX C

This is the document used to track deploying, retrieving and shipping
the sampling devices, and interactive document.

Oil Monitoring Project Contacts, Schedule and Tracking

Akutan: George Bereskin, PO Box 4, Akutan, 99553, 698-2399 (city office
698-2228)

1st deployed 3/12/07, 1st received ABL 4/18/07

2nd deployed 5/1/07, 2nd pulled 6/5/07 and shipped to ABL on 6/6/07,
arrived ABL on 6/13/07.

Atka: Andrew Zaochney. PO Box 47031, Atka, AK 99547, 839-2233 (office),
839-2208 (home), 301-2197 (mobile),   HYPERLINK "mailto:andrewz@gci.net"
 andrewz@gci.net 

1st deployed  3/11/08, 1st pulled 4/11/08, 1st received ABL 4/16/08

2nd deployed 4/11/08, 2nd pulled 5/12/08.

False Pass: Gilda Shellikoff, Tribal Administrator, PO Box 29 False Pass
AK 99583, (907) 548-2227, fax (907) 548-2256, falsepasstc@gci.net (Billy
Shellikoff 548-2207) (Siri Goulette 548-2226)

1st and ONLY deployed 6/16-6/17/08,1st pulled , and 1st received ABL    
      .

King Cove: Desirae Roehl, 497-2648,   HYPERLINK
"mailto:des_atcenvironment@yahoo.com"  des_atcenvironment@yahoo.com ,
ATC, PO Box 5, King Cove, AK 99617 

1st deployed 6/21-6/22/08, 1st received ABL 7/18/08

2nd deployed  7/22/08, 2nd pulled  and shipped to ABL on  8/28/08       
      .

Nikolski: Scott Kerr, Aleutian Island Adventures, PO Box 10 Nikolski, AK
99638 (576-2239)

1st deployment 10/1/07, pucks picked up 10/31/07 and mailed to ABL.

2nd bucket sent 10/24/07, pucks deployed 11/1/07 and picked up and sent
to ABL 12/5/07.

St. George: Patricia 859-2403.

1st deployed  January 3, 2009, 1st received ABL 

2nd deployed  February 3 (?), 2009 , 2nd pulled, and shipped to ABL on  
            ,arrived ABL on              .

St. Paul: Tyler Melovidov (546-2502), Phil Zavadil (546-3230
pazavadil@tribaleco.com)

1st deployment 5/16/07. 1st deployment pulled 6/27/07 and arrived ABL
7/5/07.

2nd deployment pucks arrived ABL 7/11/07 (2 days shipping). Puck
deployed 7/24/07 and picked up and sent to ABL on 8/24/07. Arrived ABL
on 8/27/07.

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