Distribution of PAHs in Water, Sediments Samples of Suez Canal During 2011

Nadia Al-Agroudy, Yosry A Soli

Abstract

PAHs are important environmental pollutants because of their ubiquitous presence and carcinogenicity. Monitoring and survey of PAHs in the Suez Canal passage is of paramount required information to rejuvenating the preceding data to make a correlation between them and the present status of pollution. Samples of surface water and sediments were collected from Suez Canal which is divided regionally into three sectors (Port said, Ismailia and Suez sectors) during 2011, and by using Gas chromatographic analysis of Σ16 individual PAHs concentrations, giving the following results in whole surface water and sediments samples ranged from (11.71-499.59 ng/l) and (103.41-238.76 ng/g) respectively. The maximum concentration in water samples (499.59 ng/l) was achieved at the end of the canal at location XI during spring and the minimum concentration (11.71 ng/l) was achieved at location IV during spring. While, the minimum concentration in sediments samples 103.41 ng/g at location IX and the maximum concentration 238.76 ng/g at location III, with an average mean concentration 148.91 ± 6.65 ng/g d.w Regionally, locations XII, II and VI recorded the highest annual mean values of PAHs in water samples. While locations III, V and XII recorded the highest values along Suez Canal in sediments samples. According to annual mean, Ismailia sector recorded the highest sector with annual mean 179.12 ng/l. Whereas, Port Said sector recorded the lowest with annual mean of 117.43 ng/l in water samples. In which sectors (Port Said and Suez) recorded the highest mean concentrations in sediments samples reach to 181.38 and 139.77 ng/g respectively and (Ismailia Sector) recorded the lowest 125.58 ng/g. It is noticed that the fluoranthene, benzo (a) anthracene, pyrene, indeno (1, 2, 3-cd) pyrene and benzo (k) fluoranthene were the most dominant PAHs in water samples. While, acenaphthylene and acenaphthene were the lowest fractions of PAHs. In conversely, pyrene is the most dominant fraction in sediment samples. According to the present measurements and observations, it can be concluded that, the worst affected region in the canal was in the vicinity of Suez and Port Said Cities, due to the dense industrial activities and their waste disposal.