title: Seasonal variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the surface sediments of the southern Caspian Sea.
abstract: The concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in sediments from the southern Caspian Sea in fall 2015 and winter 2016. The sum of 16 PAH (ΣPAH) concentrations varied from 17.3±3.05 to 926.7±157.37ngg-1dry weight and 14.3±0.58 to 85.8±4.41ngg-1dry weight in fall and winter, respectively. There was no significant correlation between PAH and total organic carbon contents (p>0.05). PAH source identification showed that the PAHs in the sediments originated from petroleum and petroleum combustion. When classified according to the pollution levels, sediments from the southern Caspian Sea could be considered to be low to moderately polluted with PAHs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology, Sciences and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baniemam
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology, Sciences and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: ali2m@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ali Mashinchian
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Moradi
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza Riyahi
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bakhtiari
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology, Sciences and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Fatemi
authors.affiliation: Persian Gulf and Oman Sea Ecology Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extention Organization (AREEO), Bandar Abbas, Iran.
authors.forename: Keivan Ejlali
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Khanghah
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Caspian Sea; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Season; Sediment