title: Hydrocarbons in sediments along a tropical estuary-shelf transition area: Sources and spatial distribution.
abstract: Estuaries generally act as sediment traps and may retain a range of contaminants associated to this matrix. Aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs) were investigated in Capibaribe Estuarine System and adjacent shelf, Northeast of Brazil, to evaluate the contamination and to better understand its functionality related to the coast. Fourteen sediment samples were analyzed, using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Total AHs concentrations ranged from 7.5 to 190.3μgg-1and n-alkanes ranged from below detection limit (<DL) to 9.47μgg-1. The highest concentrations were in the upper portion of the estuary, which receives domestic and industrial effluents. The observed UCM and other geochemical markers, indicated contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons. The concentration decrease (about 90%) towards the adjacent shelf suggested an estuarine high retention capacity but dilution and degradation processes cannot be neglected. Similar AHs characteristics reported in sediments from the adjacent shelf suggested that this system may also export contaminants.
authors: Grupo de Pesquisa sobre Compostos Orgânicos em Ecossistemas Costeiros e Marinhos (OrganoMAR), Departamento de Oceanografia da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Av. Arquitetura, s/n, 50740-550 Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: daniele_biologia@yahoo.com.br.
authors: Daniele Claudino
authors: DC
authors: Maciel
authors: Laboratório de Comunidades Marinhas (Lacmar), Departamento de Zoologia da da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Avenida Professor Moraes Rego 1235, 50670-901 Recife, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: jrbsouza@ufpe.br.
authors: José Roberto Botelho
authors: JR
authors: de Souza
authors: Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Instituto Oceanográfico da Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: satie@usp.br.
authors: Satie
authors: S
authors: Taniguchi
authors: Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Instituto Oceanográfico da Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: marciabicego@usp.br.
authors: Márcia Caruso
authors: MC
authors: Bícego
authors: Laboratório de Hidrodinâmica Costeira, Departamento de Oceanografia da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Av. Arquitetura, s/n, 50740-550, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: guto.schettini@gmail.com.
authors: Carlos Augusto França
authors: CA
authors: Schettini
authors: Grupo de Pesquisa sobre Compostos Orgânicos em Ecossistemas Costeiros e Marinhos (OrganoMAR), Departamento de Oceanografia da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Av. Arquitetura, s/n, 50740-550 Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: eliete.zanardi@ufpe.br.
authors: Eliete
authors: E
authors: Zanardi-Lamardo
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Aliphatic hydrocarbons; Brazil; Hydrocarbons sources; Petroleum contamination