Abstract
Carbon and hydrogen stable isotope ratios of n-alkanes are presented for Suaeda salsa and Phragmites australis from the Yellow River Delta (YRD), China. Under unpolluted conditions, S. salsa has lighter, mean carbon isotopic composition and heavier, mean hydrogen isotopic composition than those of P. australis. The δ13C and δD variation of n-alkane in S. salsa and P. australis between unpolluted conditions and petroleum-polluted soil conditions, is small (Δ13C S. salsa = 0.7 ± 0.6 ‰, Δ13C P. australis = 0.8 ± 0.7 ‰, ΔD S. salsa = 6.4 ± 11.9 ‰ and ΔD P. australis = 4.8 ± 8.6 ‰). The plants in the contaminated area have a lighter, mean carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions than those measured in the unpolluted area of the YRD. The lighter values of δD and δ13C of individual n-alkanes in plants from petroleum soil may be due to the reduction of photosynthesis and slowness of water usage effectiveness caused by petroleum pollution. Therefore, the δD and δ13C values of the plants S. salsa and P. australis could be used as proxies for evaluation of petroleum-polluted environments.
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