Characterization of hydrocarbons in sediments from Laxe Ria and their relationship with the Prestige oil spill (NW Iberian Peninsula)

Abstract

Surface sediment samples were collected from Laxe Ria (NW Spain) in September 2003 in order to characterize the extractable organic matter and compare it with the fuel oil spilled by the Prestige tanker. The valoration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy indicated an organic similarity in the middle part of the ria of pyrolytic origin. On the other hand, the comparison of different fragmentograms of characteristic ions (m/z 85 [n-alkanes], m/z 128 [naphthalene], m/z 142 [alkylnaphthalenes], m/z 156 [dialkylnaphthalenes], m/z 178 [phenanthrene or anthracene], m/z 202 [fluoranthene or pyrene], m/z 228 [benzo(a)anthracene or chrysene], and m/z 252 [benzofluoranthenes, benzopyrenes and perylene]) revealed that the organic matter extracted from the sediments did not correspond to the Prestige oil spill.