The Bemidji crude oil spill site is a long-term USGS study site to understand the fate of crude oil in the shallow subsurface. A description of the site can be found at https://mn.water.usgs.gov/projects/bemidji. In 2014 concentrations of non-volatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC) were three times higher than diesel range organics (DRO) in the contaminant plume*. This is important because most of the NVDOC in the plume is composed of partial transformation products of compounds from the crude oil that are not reflected in a DRO analysis. In 2016 we conducted a campaign to determine if DRO values continue to reflect only a fraction of the NVDOC. These data are the results of that campaign. A total of 25 wells were sampled for DRO and NVDOC in August, 2016. Three wells with long term records were included in the sampling: 530B, 515B, and 9316D. Wells sampled in 2016 but not in 2014 include two wells located 14 m from a down gradient lake (1217B and 1217C) and one well in the zone sprayed by oil (956). *Bekins, B. A., Cozzarelli, I. M., Erickson, M. L., Steenson, R. A., and Thorn, K. A., 2016, Crude Oil Metabolites in Groundwater at Two Spill Sites: Groundwater, v. 54, no. 5, p. 681-691.

This data set describes dissolved concentrations in groundwater of nonvolatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in the gasoline (C6-C10), diesel range (C10-C28) with and without silica gel cleanup, and oil range (>C28-C40) with and without silica gel cleanup. Groundwater samples were collected in June 2018 from the USGS crude oil study site located near Bemidji, MN. A background (reference) well located 200 m upgradient from the source and five wells along a flowline in the plume at 39, 68, 102, 125, and 254 m downgradient from the source.

This data set describes dissolved concentrations in groundwater of nonvolatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in the gasoline (C6-C10), diesel range (C10-C28) with and without silica gel cleanup, and oil range (>C28-C40) with and without silica gel cleanup. Groundwater samples were collected in June 2018 from the USGS crude oil study site located near Bemidji, MN. A background (reference) well located 200 m upgradient from the source and five wells along a flowline in the plume at 39, 68, 102, 125, and 254 m downgradient from the source.

In crude-oil-contaminant plumes the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is mainly hydrocarbon degradation intermediates only partly quantified by the diesel range total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPHd) method. To understand potential biological effects of degradation intermediates we tested three fractions of DOC: (1) solid phase extract (HLB); (2) dichloromethane (DCM-total) extract used in TPHd; and (3) DCM extract with hydrocarbons isolated by silica gel cleanup (DCM-SGC). Bioactivity of extracts from five wells spanning a range of DOC was tested using an in vitro multiplex reporter system that evaluates modulation of activity of 46 transcription factors; extracts were evaluated at concentrations equivalent to the well water samples. The aryl hydrocarbon (AhR) and pregnane X (PXR) transcription factors showed the greatest upregulation; with HLB exceeding DCM-total, and no upregulation in the hydrocarbon fraction (DCM-SGC). The HLB extracts were further studied with HepG2 CALUX in vitro assays at nine concentrations ranging from 40 to 0.01 times the well water concentrations. Reponses decreased with distance from the source but were still present at two wells without detectable hydrocarbons. Thus, our in vitro assay results indicate that risks associated with degradation intermediates of hydrocarbons in groundwater will be under estimated when protocols that remove these chemicals are employed.

In crude-oil-contaminant plumes the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is mainly hydrocarbon degradation intermediates only partly quantified by the diesel range total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPHd) method. To understand potential biological effects of degradation intermediates we tested three fractions of DOC: (1) solid phase extract (HLB); (2) dichloromethane (DCM-total) extract used in TPHd; and (3) DCM extract with hydrocarbons isolated by silica gel cleanup (DCM-SGC). Bioactivity of extracts from five wells spanning a range of DOC was tested using an in vitro multiplex reporter system that evaluates modulation of activity of 46 transcription factors; extracts were evaluated at concentrations equivalent to the well water samples. The aryl hydrocarbon (AhR) and pregnane X (PXR) transcription factors showed the greatest upregulation; with HLB exceeding DCM-total, and no upregulation in the hydrocarbon fraction (DCM-SGC). The HLB extracts were further studied with HepG2 CALUX in vitro assays at nine concentrations ranging from 40 to 0.01 times the well water concentrations. Reponses decreased with distance from the source but were still present at two wells without detectable hydrocarbons. Thus, our in vitro assay results indicate that risks associated with degradation intermediates of hydrocarbons in groundwater will be under estimated when protocols that remove these chemicals are employed.

This dataset contains information from groundwater monitoring wells at the National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site near Bemidji, Minnesota, USA. The information includes field and laboratory methods, site locations, and inorganic and organic chemistry data. Samples were collected between 2009 and 2023, and analyzed for inorganic anions: F (fluoride), Cl (chloride), Br (bromide), NO3 (nitrate), PO4 (phosphate), SO4 (sulfate), and cations: Ca (calcium), Na, (sodium), Mg (magnesium), K (potassium), Si (silicon), Sr (strontium), Al (aluminum), Fe (iron), Mn (manganese), Ba (barium), B (boron), Li (lithium), Ag (silver), As (arsenic), Be (beryllium), Bi (bismuth), Cd (cadmium), Ce (cerium), Co (cobalt), Cs (cesium), Cr (chromium), Cu (copper), La (lanthanum), Mo (molybdenum), Ni (nickel), Pb (lead), Rb (rubidium), Sb (antimony), Se (selenium), Sn (tin), Th (thorium), Tl (thallium), U (uranium), V (vanadium), W (tungsten), and Zn (zinc). Additionally, samples were analyzed for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o, m, p-xylene, total VHC (30 volatile hydrocarbons), NVDOC (non-volatile dissolved organic carbon), methane, ammonia as nitrogen, alkalinity as HCO3 (bicarbonate), and LMWOA (low molecular weight organic acids; lactate, acetate, propionate, formate, butyrate, pyruvate, and benzoate). The following analyses were performed during a select number of years: delta 13C of DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) delta 13C of DOC, (dissolved organic carbon) and delta 2H in H2O, delta 18O in H2O. Field measurements for specific conductance, pH, and dissolved oxygen were measured daily. Water levels were measured during the sampling events. The supporting metadata files contain site information, field and laboratory methods, water chemistry, and quality-control results. There are three tables.

This dataset contains information from groundwater monitoring wells at the National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site near Bemidji, Minnesota, USA. The information includes field and laboratory methods, site locations, and inorganic and organic chemistry data. Samples were collected between 2009 and 2023, and analyzed for inorganic anions: F (fluoride), Cl (chloride), Br (bromide), NO3 (nitrate), PO4 (phosphate), SO4 (sulfate), and cations: Ca (calcium), Na, (sodium), Mg (magnesium), K (potassium), Si (silicon), Sr (strontium), Al (aluminum), Fe (iron), Mn (manganese), Ba (barium), B (boron), Li (lithium), Ag (silver), As (arsenic), Be (beryllium), Bi (bismuth), Cd (cadmium), Ce (cerium), Co (cobalt), Cs (cesium), Cr (chromium), Cu (copper), La (lanthanum), Mo (molybdenum), Ni (nickel), Pb (lead), Rb (rubidium), Sb (antimony), Se (selenium), Sn (tin), Th (thorium), Tl (thallium), U (uranium), V (vanadium), W (tungsten), and Zn (zinc). Additionally, samples were analyzed for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o, m, p-xylene, total VHC (30 volatile hydrocarbons), NVDOC (non-volatile dissolved organic carbon), methane, ammonia as nitrogen, alkalinity as HCO3 (bicarbonate), and LMWOA (low molecular weight organic acids; lactate, acetate, propionate, formate, butyrate, pyruvate, and benzoate). The following analyses were performed during a select number of years: delta 13C of DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) delta 13C of DOC, (dissolved organic carbon) and delta 2H in H2O, delta 18O in H2O. Field measurements for specific conductance, pH, and dissolved oxygen were measured daily. Water levels were measured during the sampling events. The supporting metadata files contain site information, field and laboratory methods, water chemistry, and quality-control results. There are three tables.

The USGS is conducting a long-term study of a terrestrial crude oil spill that resulted from a ruptured pipeline in 1979. Samples of oil bailed from wells were analyzed for polyaromatic hydrocarbons by a commercial lab. A total of 32 samples were analyzed in three batches. A sample that serves as a surrogate for the original spilled oil was submitted with each batch. For each oil sample, concentrations of a conservative compound can be compared to that found in the original spilled oil surrogate to obtain an estimate of the total oil mass that has been biodegraded.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected porewater samples from nine suction lysimeters in 2018, 2019, and 2021 for analysis of organic and inorganic constituents from the National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site near Bemidji, MN. In August of 1979, approximately 1,700,000 L (liters), or 10,700 barrels, of crude oil spilled onto a glacial outwash aquifer. Sampled lysimeters included L310-1.5, L310-4.5, L1802-1.8, L9014-1.5, L9014-3.0, L9014-4.5, L9017-1.3, L9017-2.5, and L9017-3.7. This data release presents data on analytes that are important indicators of biodegradation processes. Some of these analytes, if present in elevated concentrations, can be a concern regarding potential effects on human health and the environment. There is one tabulated data set containing concentrations of non-volatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC), ammonium (NH3-N), orthophosphate, alkalinity as bicarbonate (HCO3-), major inorganic anions, cations, and trace elements. The supporting metadata file contains site information, field and laboratory methods, water chemistry, and quality-control results. Samples were analyzed in the Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory (RBPGL) in Reston, VA, and by a contract lab, Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute (MERI) in Lyndhurst, NJ.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected porewater samples from nine suction lysimeters in 2018, 2019, and 2021 for analysis of organic and inorganic constituents from the National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site near Bemidji, MN. In August of 1979, approximately 1,700,000 L (liters), or 10,700 barrels, of crude oil spilled onto a glacial outwash aquifer. Sampled lysimeters included L310-1.5, L310-4.5, L1802-1.8, L9014-1.5, L9014-3.0, L9014-4.5, L9017-1.3, L9017-2.5, and L9017-3.7. This data release presents data on analytes that are important indicators of biodegradation processes. Some of these analytes, if present in elevated concentrations, can be a concern regarding potential effects on human health and the environment. There is one tabulated data set containing concentrations of non-volatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC), ammonium (NH3-N), orthophosphate, alkalinity as bicarbonate (HCO3-), major inorganic anions, cations, and trace elements. The supporting metadata file contains site information, field and laboratory methods, water chemistry, and quality-control results. Samples were analyzed in the Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory (RBPGL) in Reston, VA, and by a contract lab, Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute (MERI) in Lyndhurst, NJ.