Very long-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons in lipids of mussels (Mytilus edulis) suspended in the water column near petroleum operations off Sable Island,Nova Scotia,Canada

Mussels (Mytilus edulis) suspended in the water column in 1994 and 1995 for the monitoring of oil drilling operations off Sable Island, Nova Scotia were examined for hydrocarbon profiles, particularly aliphatic hydrocarbons. A spring bloom of phytoplankton occurred during the 90-d suspension period in 1995. Hydrocarbons isolated from the 1995 suspended mussels showed very high concentrations of both biogenic hydrocarbons and very long-chain n-alkanes from C₂₀ to C₃₂, initially thought to be petrogenic. Both types of hydrocarbons were either not detected or were only present in trace amounts in the mussels suspended in 1994 at similar sites. The biogenic hydrocarbons in the 1995 mussels were apparently of planktonic origin, from the spring bloom, and were dominated by heneicosahexaene (21:6), followed by pristance, heptadecane, and varions monounsaturated and polyunsaturated phytenes, heptadecenes, nonadecenes and heneicosenes. They could be readily hydrogenated to yield the basic alkanes. The 1995 mussels suspended within 1 km from the oil well platform were probably slightly tainted by petrogenic hydrocarbons, as evidenced by the detection of phytane and high concentrations of total aliphatic hydrocarbons, whereas the mussels suspended 10 km from the platform showed only high concentrations of biogenic hydrocarbons and the novel long-chain n-alkanes. The occurrence of an unusual phytoplankton bloom during the suspension period severely interfered with the petroleum monitoring role of mussels by altering the mussel hydrocrbon profiles through the accumulation into and probably selective depuration of xenobiotic hydrocarbons from the mussel, tissues.J. Parsons (deceased)