ASTM_F_1231_-_14.pdf

Designation:F123114Standard Guide forEcological Considerations for the Use of Oil SpillDispersants in Freshwater and Other Inland Environments,Rivers and Creeks1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F1231;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This guide covers the use of oil spill dispersants to assistin the control of oil spills.This guide is written with the goalof minimizing the environmental impacts of oil spills;this goalis the basis on which the recommendations are made.Aestheticand socioeconomic factors are not considered,although theseand other factors are often important in spill response.1.2 Spill responders have available several means to controlor clean up spilled oil.In this guide,the use of dispersants isgiven equal consideration with other spill countermeasures.Itis not considered as“last resort”after all other methods havefailed.1.3 This is a general guide only.Oil,as used in this guide,includes crude oils and refined petroleum products.Differencesbetween individual dispersants or between different oil prod-ucts are not considered.1.4 This guide is organized by habitat type,for example,small ponds and lakes,rivers and streams,and land.Itconsiders the use of dispersants primarily to protect habitatsfrom impact(or to minimize impacts).1.5 This guide applies only to freshwater and other inlandenvironments.It does not consider the direct application ofdispersants to subsurface waters.1.6 In making dispersant use decisions,appropriate govern-ment authorities should be consulted as required by law.1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2F2532 Guide for Determining Net Environmental Benefit ofDispersant Use3.Significance and Use3.1 This guide is meant to aid local and regional responseteams who may use it during spill response planning and spillevents.3.2 This guide should be adapted to site-specific circum-stances.4.Environment CoveredRivers and Creeks4.1 Rivers and creeks are moving bodies of fresh water thatare a significant part of major water systems.They have adynamic near-shore ecology and a wide variety of animal andplant species.In northern regions,these water bodies may bepartly or completely ice covered during part of the year.Shallow rivers and most creeks may freeze to the bottom in thewinter.Commercially important fishing and recreational activi-ties are frequently associated with these water bodies.4.2 Rivers generally refer to large bodies of moving water,whereas creeks are smaller bodies of flowing water.4.3 The characteristics of these water bodies are:4.3.1 Flowing water,4.3.2 Water depths in excess of 1 m is designated as a river,shallower would be a creek,4.3.3 A low organic content bottom except in shallow nearshore still-water areas,4.3.4 Acidic water in some areas especially near industrialregions,4.3.5 A well defined source or outlet,or both,and4.3.6 A well defined shoreline consisting of sand beachesand rocky headlands similar to marine and lake environments.1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F20 on HazardousSubstances and Oil Spill Response and is the direct responsibility of SubcommitteeF20.13 on Treatment.Current edition approved March 1,2014.Published March 2014.Originallyapproved in 1989.Last previous edition approved in 2008 as F1231 08.DOI:10.1520/F1231-14.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 5.Background5.1 The effects of oil and dispersed oil on these aquaticenvironments have been the subject of numerous studies.Thestudies have involved both intentional experimental spills andstudies undertaken during actual spill situations(1-6).35.2 There have been a number of studies on the impact of oiland oil/dispersant mixtures on microbiological systems(7-17)and freshwater biota(18,19).5.3 The principal biotic components of such water bodiesare a variety of fauna and flora.The aquatic flora include algae(planktonic and attached)and floating or submerged vascularplants.Terrestrial flora include grasses,moss,lichens,herbs,forbs,and woody plants.In deep water areas,there is littlevegetation except for algae(20-22).5.4 The fauna include invertebrates(molluscs,crustaceans,worms and other similar species)