title: Hydrocarbons in coastal sediments from the Mediterranean sea (Gulf of Fos area, France).
abstract: Sedimentary hydrocarbons have been studied quantitatively and qualitatively in 11 coastal stations located in the Gulf of Fos (French Mediterranean coast). Hydrocarbon levels ranged from 10 to 260 mg kg(-1) sed. dry weight. A new parameter "NAR" (Natural n-alkane ratio) is proposed to evaluate the contribution of terrestrial inputs of hydrocarbons in the sediments. The origins of hydrocarbons are multiple: terrestrial inputs, biogenic, pyrolytic (industry emissions mainly steel and iron industries, ship and road traffic). Generally, the main source of contamination is not petroleum. Several ratios between parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons show that the sources of hydrocarbons in the sediments are generally much more pyrolytic than petrogenic.
authors.affiliation: Université Paul Cézanne Aix-Marseille 3, Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique de l'Environnement, UMR CNRS 6171 IFR 112 PMSE, Europole de l'Arbois, Bâtiment Villemin BP 80, 13545 Aix-en-Provence Cedex 4, France. gilbert.mille@univ-cezanne.fr
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mille
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Asia
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guiliano
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Malleret
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Doumenq
mesh_terms: D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005602:France; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D008522:Mediterranean Sea
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006838:Hydrocarbons