Environmental degradation of polluting aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons: a case study.
Oil extracts of Ukpeliede spill samples from Niger Delta (Nigeria) were analyzed by gas chromatography. The amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), especially the lower-molecular-weight naphthene, fluorine, phenathrene, pyrene, and benzo[a]anthracene, decreased within the sampling intervals of 2 months and 5 months. There was a predominance of three-to-six-ring PAHs over the two-ring PAHs. There was marked disappearance of n-C8 to n-C11 hydrocarbon fractions and the acyclic isoprenoids (pristane and phytane). The depletion of these molecules within the two sampling intervals suggests the possible attenuation of hydrocarbons as a result of the environmental modification within the set interval.
Osuji
Leo C
LC
Department of Industrial and Pure Chemistry, University of Port Harcourt, PMB 5323, Choba, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. osujileo@yahoo.com
Ozioma
Achugasim
A
D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009549:Nigeria; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
D006838:Hydrocarbons; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic; D010578:Petroleum; D012989:Soil Pollutants