Conceptual models for assessing the risk of seafood tainting during oil spills

Abstract

Because there are no accepted international or federal criteria for oil-related contaminants in seafood, fisheries may be closed as a precautionary action, then remain closed until samples can be collected and analyzed, then interpreted as to the actual risk. Real and potential contamination of seafood can have substantial impacts on commercial and recreational fishing and subsistence seafood use. Therefore it is important to consider oil fate and pathways of exposure that lead to the contamination of seafood species. Many biological and ecological factors influence rates of uptake and elimination, such as differences in feeding strategies, habitat, and physiology, which ultimately determine the likelihood and duration of taint. Using data gathered from past spills and laboratory studies, conceptual models of exposure pathways for a range of spill conditions and oil types can be used in combination with spill conditions and ecological factors to predict oil exposure, uptake, and elimination of petroleum compounds in seafood species. These conceptual models may allow risk assessors to evaluate the risk of significant contamination of seafood and make decisions based on limited on-scene data.