Understanding of chemical composition and toxicological impacts of produced water routinely discharged from platforms along the Norwegian coast
Produced water (PW) from the oil and gas industry represents the largest direct discharge of effluent into the marine environment worldwide.
Approximately 130 million m3 PW is released on the Norwegian continental shelf annually from offshore production platforms. Organic compounds (mostly hydrocarbons), metals, radioisotopes, production chemicals, solids and dissolved gases comprise the major contents of PW.
Regulatory authorities classify substances discharged to the marine environment according to environmental risk, with specific focus on persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity, and by defining 'predicted no effect concentrations' (PNEC) for several predefined PW components, primarily resolved oil components, particulate oil and production chemicals. The presence of unknown components with uncharacterized and potential long-term toxicity are not in any way regulated by the authorities.
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Contacts
Bjørn Henrik Hansen
Senior Research Scientist- Name
- Bjørn Henrik Hansen
- Title
- Senior Research Scientist
- Phone
- +47 98 28 38 92
- Department
- Climate and Environment
- Office
- Trondheim
- Company
- SINTEF Ocean AS
Lisbet Sørensen
Senior Research Scientist- Name
- Lisbet Sørensen
- Title
- Senior Research Scientist
- Phone
- +47 93 00 10 59
- Department
- Climate and Environment
- Office
- Trondheim
- Company
- SINTEF Ocean AS