Research Article
Turki AJ
Abstract
Al-Arbaeen lagoon, in the central part of Jeddah city, well-known for tourists and fisheries, receive high inputs of organic matter mostly anthropogenic. Samples of surficial bottom sediments were collected from eighteen stations along the Al-Arbaeen lagoon and have been analyzed and characterized in terms of their contents of biogenic and anthropogenic hydrocarbon biomarkers. The analysis of aliphatic hydrocarbons in surficial sediments, based on GC/ MS and biomarkers (triterpane and sterane) fingerprinting, showed that these hydrocarbons were mainly derived from petroleum sources. The coastal sediments analyses of all sites of the study area indicate that levels of petroleum hydrocarbons (60.13-2510.35 μg/g dry wt total hydrocarbons) are generally far higher than those from sediments adjacent to effluent discharge sites of a sewage treatment plant in Chesapeake Bay, USA. The continuous deposition of hydrocarbons in Al-Arbaeen lagoon might be connected with different pollutant sources (petrogenic and/or biogenic) via the effluent discharge point and/or the highly urbanized areas located very close to the lagoon.