title: Distribution of sewage input in marine sediments around a maritime Antarctic research station indicated by molecular geochemical indicators.
abstract: Sediments from Admiralty Bay, Antarctica were collected during the austral summers of 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 in order to assess the distribution and concentration of sewage indicators originating from Comandante Ferraz Brazilian Antarctic Station. Fecal sterols (coprostanol+epicoprostanol) and linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) ranged from <0.01 to 0.95 microg g(-1) and <1.0 to 23 ng g(-1) dry weight, respectively. In general, the higher concentrations were found only locally in the vicinity of Ferraz station at Martel Inlet. Baseline values for fecal sterols and coprostanone were calculated as 0.19 and 0.40 microg g(-1), respectively. According to fecal sterols concentrations, sewage contribution to Martel Inlet has increased more than twice since 1997, as result of the increase in the number of researchers at the station especially during the last decade. A low correlation was found between total LABs and fecal steroids, which could be attributed to the contribution of the natural sources of steroids.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Oceanográfico da Universidade de São Paulo, Laboratório de. Química Orgânica Marinha, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosalinda C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Montone
authors.forename: César C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Márcia C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bícego
authors.forename: Satie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Denis Albuquerque Moreira
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Lúcia S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Rolf Roland
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D000864:Antarctic Regions; D004083:Cholestanol / Q000032:analysis; D002777:Cholestanols / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis*; D013256:Steroids / Q000032:analysis; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002777:Cholestanols; D012722:Sewage; D013256:Steroids; D014873:Water Pollutants; D004083:Cholestanol; C523170:epicoprostanol