Sutton Paul A.

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Sutton
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Paul A.
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  • Article
    MV Wakashio grounding incident in Mauritius 2020: the world’s first major spillage of very low sulfur fuel oil
    (Elsevier, 2021-09-03) Scarlett, Alan G. ; Nelson, Robert K. ; Gagnon, Marthe Monique ; Holman, Alex I. ; Reddy, Christopher M. ; Sutton, Paul A. ; Grice, Kliti
    Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oils (VSLFO, <0.5% S) are a new class of marine fuel oils, introduced to meet recent International Maritime Organization regulations. The MV Wakashio was reported to have released 1000 t of VLSFO when it grounded on a reef in Mauritius on 25th July 2020. A field sample of oily residue contaminating the Mauritian coast was collected on 16th August 2020 and compared with the Wakashio fuel oil. Both oils were analyzed for organic and elemental content, and stable isotope ratios δ13C and δ2H measured. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry was used to identify and compare biomarkers resistant to weathering. The aromatic content in the VLSFO was relatively low suggesting that the potential for ecosystem harm arising from exposure to toxic components may be less than with traditional fuel oil spills. The Wakashio oil spill is, to our knowledge, the first documented spill involving VLSFO.
  • Article
    Characterizations and comparison of low sulfur fuel oils compliant with 2020 global sulfur cap regulation for international shipping
    (Elsevier, 2022-06-01) Nelson, Robert K. ; Scarlett, Alan G. ; Gagnon, Marthe Monique ; Holman, Alex I. ; Reddy, Christopher M. ; Sutton, Paul A. ; Grice, Kliti
    The International Marine Organization 2020 Global Sulfur Cap requires ships to burn fuels with <0.50% S and some countries require <0.10% S in certain Sulfur Emission Control Areas but little is known about these new types of fuels. Using both traditional GC–MS and more advanced chromatographic and mass spectrometry techniques, plus stable isotopic, δ13C and δ2H, analyses of pristane, phytane and n-alkanes, the organic components of a suite of three 0.50% S and three 0.10% S compliant fuels were characterized. Two oils were found to be near identical but all of the remaining oils could be forensically distinguished by comparison of their molecular biomarkers and by the profiles of the heterocyclic parent and alkylated homologues. Oils could also be differentiated by their δ13C and δ2H of n-alkanes and isoprenoids. This study provides important forensic data that may prove invaluable in the event of future oil spills.