Abstract
The top and bottom of two sediment cores collected from an urban receiving basin in NW London, and stormwater samples from the attendant catchment, have been analysed for their hydrocarbon content.
In surface sediments, basal sediments and stormwater, total aliphatic hydrocarbon levels are 445–690 µg g−1 dry wt., 43–224 µg g−1 and 0.36–1.10 mg l−1, respectively; and total levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are 780–1 100 µg g−1, 310–640 µg g1 and 5.83–18.21 mg l−1, respectively.
Biodegradation of aliphatics is assessed by phytane:n-C18 and pristane: n-C17 ratios. Hydrocarbon sources are determined from phytane: pristane ratios, odd: even carbon chain length ratios, the presence of an unresolved complex mixture, and by comparison of the amount of methyl-substituted PAH s with that of the parent compounds.
Comparison of total levels between surface and basal sediments shows a 1 to 3 fold increase in total PAHs and a 3 to 10 fold increase in aliphatic hydrocarbons over a 120 year period.
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Gavens, A., Revitt, D.M. & Ellis, J.B. Hydrocarbon accumulation in freshwater sediments of an urban catchment. Hydrobiologia 91, 285–292 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02391945
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02391945