Investigation of aliphatic hydrocarbons in core sediments of Brunei Bay, East Malaysia

Pang SY 1 , Suratman S 2 , Tay JH 3 , Mohd Tahir N 4

Affiliations 

  • 1 Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. Electronic address: pang.sy@umt.edu.my
  • 2 Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
  • 3 Faculty of Industrial Sciences and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Lebuhraya Tun Razak, 26300 Gambang, Pahang, Malaysia
  • 4 Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
Mar Pollut Bull, 2021 Oct;171:112736.
PMID: 34325152 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112736

Abstract

The distribution of aliphatic hydrocarbons in three sediment cores from Brunei Bay was investigated in order to understand their sources and the biogeochemical processes of these hydrocarbons. The total concentrations of C15 to C37n-alkanes ranged from 0.70 to 16.5 μg g-1. Traces of hopanes with C29-C31 carbon homologs were detected in the study area. The carbon preference index (CPI15-37) ranged from 1.23 to 3.42 coupled with the natural n-alkane ratio (NAR19-32) ratios (1.52 to 5.34), and the presence of unresolved complex mixtures and hopanes, suggested slight contamination by anthropogenic hydrocarbons, presumably derived from activities along the coasts. The presence of C27 trisnorhopene and diploptene, as well as their association with long-chain and short-chain n-alkanes, revealed a depositional environment of organic matter in the sediment cores.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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