9 
Oil Spill identification - Round Robin 20045 
Abstract 
RIZA and BSH have organized a round robin concerning oil spill 
identification between 12 international laboratories 
Composed and artificially weathered bilge samples have been sent to 
the participants with the following information: 
Extract I and II are from two samples from the water (dichloromethane 
extracts). 
Source I and II are bilges samples from two boats (pure oil). 
Samples from the surface water were taken in a canal in the Netherlands. An 
oil spill was located and a sample (Extract I) taken. The next day a second 
spill was found further on in the canal. Here also a sample was obtained 
(Extract II). Sailing records revealed that two boats could have caused the 
spills. From each boat a bilge sample was obtained (Source I and II). 
Question: Do samples match? (Extract I and/or Extract II with Source I and/or 
Source II). 
The spill samples (E I and E II) had to be compared with both possible 
source samples (S I and S II). The conclusions are summarized in the 
table. 
Participants 
Methods 
Results 
FID 
MS 
S I- E I 
S I - E II 
S II - E I 
S II - E II 
BMM 
X 
X 
+ 
+ 
-- 
-- 
Cedre 
X 
-- 
-- 
-- 
-- 
LASEM 
X 
-- 
-- 
-- 
-- 
LVA 
X 
X 
+ + 
+ + 
-- 
-- 
NBI 
X 
X 
+ + 
+ 
-- 
-- 
NERI 
X 
X 
+ + 
+ 
-- 
-- 
NFI 
X 
+ + 
+ + 
-- 
-- 
Petrobas 
X 
X 
+ + 
+ + 
+ + 
+ + 
RIZA 
X 
X 
+ + 
+ + 
-- 
-- 
Sintef 
X 
X 
+ + 
+ + 
-- 
-- 
SKL 
X 
X 
+ + 
+ 
-- 
-- 
WRD 
X 
+ + 
+ + 
- 
- 
-- 
Significant differences between the samples have been found. 
+ + 
No significant differences between the samples have been found. 
- and + 
Conclusions are Indicated to be less certain. 
The two spill samples were prepared from Source sample I by 
evaporation (with extract II to a larger extent). Most participants have 
found correctly a match between Source I and Extract I and Extract II 
and a non-match for Source II.