Geochemical markers as a tool to assess sedimentary organic matter sources of the Laguna Estuarine System, South Brazil: Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract

Surface sediment samples from the Laguna Estuarine System were analyzed to identify organic matter sources. The ratios between selected n-alkanes, high concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AH) (average of 9,168 μg g -1 of organic carbon, OC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (total average of 426,593 ng g-1 OC), and the hopanes distribution with aβ stereochemistry found in the Santo Antônio Lagoon samples were evidence that hydrocarbon inputs from petrogenic sources predominate over natural sources. In the other samples studied, the AH distribution (from 38 to 2,749 μg g-1 OC), and detection of hopenes and hopanes-ββ suggest mixed sources of hydrocarbons. Nevertheless, PAH concentrations in all samples (from 7,731 to 786,469 μg g-1 OC, whereof alkyl naphthalenes accounted for > 92% of the total) indicated critical petrogenic contamination. Fishing and urban activities are potential sources to the petrogenic hydrocarbons detected in these sediment samples. © 2010 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.