Aliphatic and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Sulfur/Oxygen Derivatives in Northwestern Mediterranean Sediments:  Spatial and Temporal Variability, Fluxes, and Budgets

Abstract

The spatial and temporal distribution of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and sulfur/oxygen derivatives in sediments from the NW Mediterranean basin were investigated. Along the Continental Shelf and slope, an unresolved complex mixture (UCM) of aliphatic hydrocarbons and alkylated PAHs, indicative of petrogenic inputs, were predominant. Long-chain n-alkanes derived from terrestrial plant waxes (n-C27, n-C29, and n-C31) and parent PAHs, which are typical of high-temperature combustion processes, were evenly distributed in the whole basin and largely prevailing in the deepest areas. Perylene, a geochemically derived PAH, was found highly abundant in the areas influenced by river discharges. The highest anthropogenic hydrocarbon inputs were found near the cities of Marseille and Barcelona, being the contribution of the Rhone River ca. 25 times higher than that of the Ebro. Fluxes of PAHs in the deep basin were consistent with a predominant atmospheric input. These results account for an accumulation rate in the NW Mediterranean sediments of 2700 t/year of petrogenic unresolved hydrocarbons (UCM) and 60 t/year of pyrolytic PAHs. Analyses of dated sediment cores from the Rhone and Ebro prodeltas exhibited maximum accumulation rates of PAHs in the 1920−1940 and the 1975−1990 periods, although with a steep decrease since 1985 in the Rhone area.

A wintertime study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 in Beijing: Assessment of energy structure conversion

“…[20]. Concretely, PAHs originated from combustion contains more 4-6 ring PAHs [22], and those comes from petroleum contains relative higher proportion of 2-3 ring PAHs [23]. It should be noted that of the combustion derived PAHs, low-molecular-weight PAHs were mostly from low to moderate temperature while high-molecular-weight PAHs produced at high temperatures.…”

Distribution, input pathway and mass inventory of black carbon in sediments of the Gulf of Thailand, SE Asia

“…The burial flux and mass inventory of BC in this work were estimated according to the procedures from Tolosa et al (1996); Hu et al (2014). Briefly, the study area was divided into 93 homogenous sectors, with the sampling sites located in the centre of their respective sectors by coupling with the recent regional-scale varied sediment mass accumulation rates for each sample site (Fig.…”

In-situ partitioning and bioconcentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among water, suspended particulate matter, and fish in the Dongjiang and Pearl Rivers and the Pearl River Estuary, China

“…This may be ascribed to the following facts. (1) Marine fish living in contact with sediment, which is a sink for PAHs, can be enriched with PAHs (Tolosa et al, 1996). The PAH concentrations in water, suspended particulate matter, and sediments for marine fish may be significantly higher than those for freshwater fish in the PRD (Wang et al, 2010b).…”