title: Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in coastal Caspian Sea sediments.
abstract: This investigation represents the first extensive study of the spatial distribution and sources of aliphatic (n-alkanes and unresolved complex mixture of fossil hydrocarbons) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coastal sediments from the Caspian Sea. PAH concentrations, n-alkanes and biomarker profiles all suggested that there was limited petrogenic contamination in the shallow North Caspian Sea sediments, which are coarse with a low total organic carbon content. In contrast, moderate to high petrogenic contamination was found in the South Caspian Sea, in particular in the offshore oil fields near Baku, Azerbaijan. Contaminant patterns indicated that the PAHs were mainly from fossil sources, with higher contributions of pyrolytic only near industrialized and urban areas. A high contribution of perylene, a geochemically derived PAH, to the total PAHs was found in the west and south at sites influenced by the Kura, Safid Rud, Terek, Sulak and Samur Rivers.
authors.affiliation: Marine Environment Laboratory, International Atomic Energy Agency, 4 Quai Antoine 1er, B.P. 800, MC 98012, Principality of Monaco, Monaco.
authors.forename: Imma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tolosa
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Mora
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sheikholeslami
authors.forename: Jean Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Villeneuve
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartocci
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cattini
mesh_terms: D001382:Azerbaijan; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005580:Fossils; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons