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An integrated approach to determine sediment quality in areas above CO2 injection and storage in agreement with the requirements of the international conventions on the protection of the marine environment

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Abstract

The urgent need to reduce the greenhouse emissions to the atmosphere has leaded to study new systems to capture and store carbon dioxide (CO2). The sequestration of CO2 in marine geological formations is one of these systems proposed at the international level to effectively reduce the concentration of atmospheric CO2. Although permanent containment is expected, it is necessary to determine the risk of leakage to the marine environment. The integrated model for the evaluation of the environmental quality of the marine environment will contribute to determine the potential environmental pathways and effects that are relevant to the consideration of the potential consequences of the leakage of CO2 and incidental associated substances from the geological formations to the marine environment. In addition, this model will satisfy the requirements for a safe CO2 storage in sub-seabed geological formations set in the international conventions on the protection of the marine environment (1992 OSPAR Convention and 1996 London Protocol). The objective of this paper is to show how to adapt classical methodologies based on a weight-of-evidence approach to establish the impact of CO2 leaks in the sediment quality. It is described how the classical methods should modify their application when acidification occurs related to CO2 leaks being the main potential impact in these areas.

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Notes

  1. The expression ‘very likely’ used in this statement indicates a probability between 90 and 99% (IPCC 2005).

  2. The expression ‘likely’ indicates a probability between 66 and 90% (IPCC 2005).

  3. Incidental associated substances derived from the source material and the capture, transport and storage processes used (OSPAR Convention 2007; London Protocol 2007).

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants funded by the Spanish Ministry of Environment during years 2006 and 2007. Also the Ministry for Science and Innovation partially funded this research through grants CTM2008-06344-C03-03/TECNO y CTM2008-06344-C03-02/TECNO and the ‘Junta de Andalucia’ through Excellence projects RNM-3924. Diana Fernandez de la Reguera thanks the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education for her research fellowship (FPI). Dra. I. Riba thanks the Spanish program ‘Ramón y Cajal’ for supporting her research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Catedra UNESCO UNIT/WIN/WiCoP, Campus Río San Pedro s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain

    Diana F. Reguera, Inmaculada Riba, Jesús M. Forja & T. Ángel DelValls

  2. Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, CSIC, Campus Río San Pedro s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain

    Inmaculada Riba

Authors
  1. Diana F. Reguera
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  2. Inmaculada Riba
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  3. Jesús M. Forja
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  4. T. Ángel DelValls
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Correspondence to Diana F. Reguera.

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F. Reguera, D., Riba, I., Forja, J.M. et al. An integrated approach to determine sediment quality in areas above CO2 injection and storage in agreement with the requirements of the international conventions on the protection of the marine environment. Ecotoxicology 18, 1123–1129 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-009-0381-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-009-0381-7

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