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Organic tracers in sediments from the coastal zone of Ras Abu el-Darag, Gulf of Suez

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Sediment samples from the coastal zone of the Gulf of Suez contain a variety of organic compounds from anthropogenic and natural sources. A total of 12 surface samples of bottom sediments were collected with an Ekman grab sampler along an off-shore transect south of Ras Abu el-Darag. The samples were extracted with a mixture of dichloromethane and methanol (3:1 v/v) after drying and sieving through 250 μm mesh. The extracts were derivatized and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in order to characterize the chemical composition and sources of the organic components. Marine with minor terrestrial biota were the major natural sources of organic tracers and included n-alkanoic acids, sterols and saccharides (5.7–76.7%). Anthropogenic sources, from petroleum related activities, detergent usage for spill cleaning and littering, are indicated by the presence of n-alkanes with carbon preference index ≤1.0, hopanes, steranes, unresolved complex mixture of branched and cyclic hydrocarbons, alkyl nitriles, alkamides and plasticizers. Their total relative concentrations ranged from 23.3 to 97.3% of the total extracts. Petroleum residues from natural seepage may also be part of these hydrocarbons. The levels of anthropogenic inputs decrease from about 94% in coastal zone sediments to about 20% in sediments from the reef front.

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Author notes

  1. Ahmed I. Rushdi

    Present address: College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11452, Saudi Arabia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Ahmed I. Rushdi

  2. Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Tarek A. T. A. Kassim

  3. Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Bernd R. T. Simoneit

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  1. Ahmed I. Rushdi
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  2. Tarek A. T. A. Kassim
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  3. Bernd R. T. Simoneit
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Correspondence to Ahmed I. Rushdi.

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Tarek A. T. A. Kassim is deceased.

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Rushdi, A.I., Kassim, T.A.T.A. & Simoneit, B.R.T. Organic tracers in sediments from the coastal zone of Ras Abu el-Darag, Gulf of Suez. Environ Geol 58, 1675–1687 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1668-3

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