Journal of Marine Science: Research & Development
Open Access

Abstract

Water and sediment samples were collected from 49 sampling stations along the semi-closed areas of Alexandria coasts, Egypt. Aliphatic hydrocarbon, the concentrations in water were varied from < DL to 1050.52 ng -l with an average concentration of 284.00 ng l −1 . While in sediment, concentrations were varied from 3.7 ng g −1 to 9457.35 ng g −1 with an average value of 1203.69 ng g −1 ; dry weight. For PAHs, the total PAHs (∑PAHs) concentrations in water varied from 2.2 to 677.25 ng l -1 with an average of 192.29 ng l -1 . While in sediment the total concentrations of 15 out of 16 EPA-PAHs in sediments were varied from 4.2 to 886 ng.g −1 with an average value of 176 ng.g −1 (dry wt). Higher concentration of total pyrolytic hydrocarbons (ΣCOMB) than total fossil hydrocarbons (ΣCOMB), declared that atmospheric fall-out is the significant source of PAHs to marine sediments of the semi-closed area of Alexandria. The selected marked compounds and special PAHs compound ratios (phenanthrene/anthracene; fluoranthene/pyrene; ΣCOMB/ ΣEPA-PAHs) suggest the pyrogenic origins, especially traffic exhausts, are the dominant sources of PAHs in most locations. Interferences of rather petrogenic and pyrolytic PAH contaminations were noticed in the harbours, especially marine area due to petroleum products deliveries and fuel combustion emissions from the ships staying alongside the quays.

Biography

Mohamed Ibrahim Abdel Moneim Ibrahim has completed his Master Degree at the age of 26 years from Alexandria University. He is Assistant researcher in The National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries at Alexandria, Egypt. He published his study in Journal of Environmental Protection, 2011, 2, 700-709 doi:10.4236/jep.2011.26081 Published Online August 2011 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/jep) the title of published paper is PAHs in Sediments along the Semi-closed Areas of Alexandria, Egypt. He speaks English but my mother tongue is Arabic.