Tracking ecosystem releases by oil and natural gas production with marine tetrapod

Abstract

This project aims to start a partnership between Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" / Centro de Estudos Ambientais (CEA/UNESP) and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) through the exchange of Prof Dr Amauri Antonio Menegário e Prof Dr Robine M. de Kruijff, respectively. This partnership is based on tasks to be developed in both universities including the determination of trace elements (TE) and rare earths elements (REE) in samples of marine tetrapods, crude oils and produced waters from the Santos Basin by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (QICP-MS) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Initially, the tasks will focus on the comparison of the results of TC obtained by using QICP-MS (to be performed at CEA/UNESP) and INAA (to be performed at TU Delft). Subsequently, the results of REE obtained by QICP-MS will be systematically compared. It is supposed that this proposal will integrate and broaden the research from both researchers. The Brazilian researcher will gain expertise in INAA, while the researcher from the Netherlands will gain expertise in determination by QICP-MS (including sample preparation for ICP-MS). Additionally, the tasks to be development in both universities, probably will result in the development of new analytical methods based on QICP-MS and INAA techniques. The exchange includes the plan of two visits to Brazil for the Dutch researcher and two visits to the Netherlands for the Brazilian researcher. The realization of a workshop in Brazil is also predicted during the project. Thus, the obtained results can be systematically discussed (including the help from other researchers from different countries). Finally, after stating the partnership between the two universities, it is expected that new grants will be proposed by the researchers. These potential new grants will include the determination of TE and REE as well its speciation in environmental samples. (AU)