title: Hydrocarbons in surface sediments from the Sfax coastal zone, (Tunisia) Mediterranean Sea.
abstract: The Semi-enclosed Mediterranean Sea records various signals of high anthropic pressures from surrounding countries and the industrialized European countries. This is particularly true for oil pollution. Although accounting for 1% of the world's ocean surface, it receives about 25% of the petroleum inputs to the ocean. To achieve a global budget we need to collect information from different parts of the Mediterranean. Particularly, we focus in this paper on the Southern Mediterranean, where data are presently very scarce. In this context, the University of Sfax has undertaken an estimation of hydrocarbon pollution along the coasts of Sfax and Gabès Gulf. Non-aromatic hydrocarbons were analysed in 8 surface sediments by FT/IR and GC/MS. Non-aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations vary in the range 310-1406 microg g(-1) sediments dry weight, which is high, compared to other Mediterranean sites. GC/MS data indicate a large group of unresolved compounds suggesting a petroleum contamination, confirmed by the identification of hopanes with predominant C29 and C30alpha,beta compounds and steranes with predominance of C27 over C28) and C29 compounds.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Eau-Energie-Environnement (Lab 3E) des Sciences de l'Environnement (LARSEN), E.N.I.S., B.P. W 3038, Sfax, Tunisie. zaghdem@ccr.jussieu.fr
authors.forename: Hatem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zaghden
authors.forename: Monem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kallel
authors.forename: Afifa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Louati
authors.forename: Boubaker
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Elleuch
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oudot
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saliot
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D010578:Petroleum