BIOMAT Database Logo BIOMAT Database Logo

Sources and composition of natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbons in sediments from an impacted estuary. 2022

Man Lu, and Stephen Jones, and Mac McKinney, and Rick Wagner, and Sakinat Mojisola Ahmad, and Alyssa Kandow, and Rona Donahoe, and YueHan Lu
Molecular Eco-Geochemistry (MEG) Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA.

Hydrocarbons in estuarine sediments provide information on sources of sedimentary organic matter (OM), and they are thus useful for tracing natural and anthropogenic OM inputs to the estuary. Here, we assessed the amounts, compositions and sources of natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbons from the sediments of a large, ecologically important estuary, Mobile Bay in Southeast USA. TOC/TN ratios and δ13C of organic carbon suggest that the bulk natural OM was sourced from marine phytoplankton and bacteria mixed with marsh and terrigenous C3 plants. Normal alkanes show high proportions of long-chain compounds with a high Carbon Preference Index, indicating the importance of C3 plants-derived OM in Mobile Bay. High concentrations of biogenic hopanes and perylene indicate microbial sources and degradation played an important role in shaping OM compositions. Anthropogenic hydrocarbons, αβ-hopanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were widely detected in Mobile Bay sediments. The source diagnostic ratios of hopanes and steranes suggest they were sourced from coal and diesel combustions. The source diagnostic ratios of PAHs, together with a positive correlation between PAHs and total mercury, suggests that PAHs originated primarily from coal combustion. We proposed two ratios, αβ-hopanes/(ββ-hopanes+hopenes) and 16 PAHs/perylene, to evaluate anthropogenic versus natural contributions of hydrocarbons. These ratios were higher in the western estuary than in the eastern estuary, suggesting elevated anthropogenic hydrocarbon inputs to the western estuary. Correspondingly, the toxic equivalent quantity (TEQBaQ) of PAHs showed a higher ecological risk for the western estuary. This spatially uneven distribution of hydrocarbon pollutants can be attributed to more concentrated urban and industrial areas on the western shore, suggesting the importance of adjacent pollution sources. Collectively, our results provide new insights into the origins and dynamics of natural and anthropogenic OM and highlight the significance of coal combustion in contributing hydrocarbon pollutants in Mobile Bay sediments.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010569 Perylene A 20-carbon dibenz(de,kl)anthracene that can be viewed as a naphthalene fused to a phenalene or as dinaphthalene. It is used as fluorescent lipid probe in the cytochemistry of membranes and is a polycyclic hydrocarbon pollutant in soil and water. Derivatives may be carcinogenic. Perilene,Peri-Dinaphthalene,Peri Dinaphthalene
D011084 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Aromatic hydrocarbons that contain extended fused-ring structures. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon,Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic,Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbon,Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons,Aromatic Hydrocarbon, Polycyclic,Aromatic Hydrocarbon, Polynuclear,Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Polycyclic,Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Polynuclear,Aromatic Polycyclic Hydrocarbons,Hydrocarbon, Polycyclic Aromatic,Hydrocarbon, Polynuclear Aromatic,Hydrocarbons, Aromatic Polycyclic,Hydrocarbons, Polycyclic Aromatic,Hydrocarbons, Polynuclear Aromatic
D002244 Carbon A nonmetallic element with atomic symbol C, atomic number 6, and atomic weight [12.0096; 12.0116]. It may occur as several different allotropes including DIAMOND; CHARCOAL; and GRAPHITE; and as SOOT from incompletely burned fuel. Carbon-12,Vitreous Carbon,Carbon 12,Carbon, Vitreous
D003031 Coal A natural fuel formed by partial decomposition of vegetable matter under certain environmental conditions. Anthracite,Bituminous Coal,Brown Coal,Lignite,Lignitious Coal,Peat Coal,Soft Coal,Anthracites,Bituminous Coals,Brown Coals,Coal, Bituminous,Coal, Brown,Coal, Lignitious,Coal, Peat,Coal, Soft,Coals,Coals, Bituminous,Coals, Brown,Coals, Lignitious,Coals, Peat,Coals, Soft,Lignites,Lignitious Coals,Peat Coals,Soft Coals
D004784 Environmental Monitoring The monitoring of the level of toxins, chemical pollutants, microbial contaminants, or other harmful substances in the environment (soil, air, and water), workplace, or in the bodies of people and animals present in that environment. Monitoring, Environmental,Environmental Surveillance,Surveillance, Environmental
D006838 Hydrocarbons Organic compounds that primarily contain carbon and hydrogen atoms with the carbon atoms forming a linear or circular structure. Hydrocarbon,Saturated Hydrocarbons,Unsaturated Hydrocarbons,Hydrocarbons, Saturated,Hydrocarbons, Unsaturated
D014874 Water Pollutants, Chemical Chemical compounds which pollute the water of rivers, streams, lakes, the sea, reservoirs, or other bodies of water. Chemical Water Pollutants,Landfill Leachate,Leachate, Landfill,Pollutants, Chemical Water
D053978 Pentacyclic Triterpenes Five-ring derivatives of dammarane having a chair-chair-chair-boat configuration. They include the lupanes, oleananes, amyrins, GLYCYRRHIZIC ACID, and soyasaponins. Adianane Derivatives,Adiananes,Baccharane Triterpenes,Fernane Derivatives,Fernanes,Gammacerane Derivatives,Gammaceranes,Hopane Derivatives,Hopanes,Hopenoid Derivatives,Pentacyclic Triterpenoids,Triterpenes, Pentacyclic,Triterpenes, Baccharane
D019015 Geologic Sediments A mass of organic or inorganic solid fragmented material, or the solid fragment itself, that comes from the weathering of rock and is carried by, suspended in, or dropped by air, water, or ice. It refers also to a mass that is accumulated by any other natural agent and that forms in layers on the earth's surface, such as sand, gravel, silt, mud, fill, or loess. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed, p1689) Marine Oil Snow,Sediments, Geologic,Sediments, Marine,Geologic Sediment,Marine Snow,Sediment, Geologic,Marine Oil Snows,Marine Sediment,Marine Sediments,Oil Snow, Marine,Sediment, Marine,Snow, Marine Oil
D063366 Estuaries A partially enclosed body of water, and its surrounding coastal habitats, where saltwater from the ocean mixes with fresh water from rivers or streams. The resulting mixture of seawater and fresh water is called brackish water and its salinity can range from 0.5 to 35 ppt. (accessed http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/estuaries/estuaries01_whatis.html) Fjord,Estuary,Fjords

Related Publications

Man Lu, and Stephen Jones, and Mac McKinney, and Rick Wagner, and Sakinat Mojisola Ahmad, and Alyssa Kandow, and Rona Donahoe, and YueHan Lu
Sources, composition, and spectroscopiccharacteristics of dissolved organic matter extractedfrom sediments in an anthropogenic-impacted riverin Southeastern China.
November 2017, Environmental science and pollution research international,
Man Lu, and Stephen Jones, and Mac McKinney, and Rick Wagner, and Sakinat Mojisola Ahmad, and Alyssa Kandow, and Rona Donahoe, and YueHan Lu
Sources and transport of hydrocarbons in sediments from the Changjiang River Estuary, China.
December 2005, Marine pollution bulletin,
Man Lu, and Stephen Jones, and Mac McKinney, and Rick Wagner, and Sakinat Mojisola Ahmad, and Alyssa Kandow, and Rona Donahoe, and YueHan Lu
Natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbons in sediments from the Chubut River (Patagonia, Argentina).
May 2004, Marine pollution bulletin,
Man Lu, and Stephen Jones, and Mac McKinney, and Rick Wagner, and Sakinat Mojisola Ahmad, and Alyssa Kandow, and Rona Donahoe, and YueHan Lu
Identification of natural, anthropogenic and petroleum hydrocarbons in aquatic sediments.
March 1992, The Science of the total environment,
Man Lu, and Stephen Jones, and Mac McKinney, and Rick Wagner, and Sakinat Mojisola Ahmad, and Alyssa Kandow, and Rona Donahoe, and YueHan Lu
Anthropogenic sources and distribution of phosphorus in sediments from the Jaguaribe River estuary, NE, Brazil.
August 2011, Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia,
Man Lu, and Stephen Jones, and Mac McKinney, and Rick Wagner, and Sakinat Mojisola Ahmad, and Alyssa Kandow, and Rona Donahoe, and YueHan Lu
Characteristics and sources of anthropogenic and biogenic hydrocarbons in sediments from the coast of Qatar.
November 2017, Marine pollution bulletin,
Man Lu, and Stephen Jones, and Mac McKinney, and Rick Wagner, and Sakinat Mojisola Ahmad, and Alyssa Kandow, and Rona Donahoe, and YueHan Lu
Sequential extraction of 226Ra in sediments from an estuary affected historically by anthropogenic inputs of natural radionuclides.
January 2004, Journal of environmental radioactivity,
Man Lu, and Stephen Jones, and Mac McKinney, and Rick Wagner, and Sakinat Mojisola Ahmad, and Alyssa Kandow, and Rona Donahoe, and YueHan Lu
Natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbon inputs to sediments of Patos Lagoon Estuary, Brazil.
January 2005, Environment international,
Man Lu, and Stephen Jones, and Mac McKinney, and Rick Wagner, and Sakinat Mojisola Ahmad, and Alyssa Kandow, and Rona Donahoe, and YueHan Lu
Anthropogenic and natural hydrocarbons in water and sediments of the Kara Sea.
December 2022, Marine pollution bulletin,
Man Lu, and Stephen Jones, and Mac McKinney, and Rick Wagner, and Sakinat Mojisola Ahmad, and Alyssa Kandow, and Rona Donahoe, and YueHan Lu
Historical record and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in core sediments from the Yangtze Estuary, China.
November 2000, Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987),
Copied contents to your clipboard!