Abstract
Hydrocarbon distributions in two intertidal, surface sediments from Bridgwater Bay were examined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to investigate distributions and sources of hydrocarbons. Two major hydrocarbon sources were identified, pyrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and a chronic petrogenic input. Other probable sources were algal, higher-plant and DDT-related pesticides. It was not possible to detect a contribution to the surface sediments from a nearby Liassic shale. Petrogenic biomarker distributions were broadly similar in the sediment samples, possibly reflecting a degree of resuspension and mixing of sediments within Bridgwater Bay. However, the significance of some slight differences in steroidal hydrocarbon distributions could not be determined. A relatively greater contribution from the petrogenic source(s) than from the pyrogenic source was noted in the finer grained sediment sample. An extended range of PAHs was noted in both sediment samples, with molecular weights of up to 326 detected. A group of compounds, comprising terphenyls, cyclohexylbiphenyls and dicyclohexylbenzenes, was detected, which appeared to have a petrogenic origin.
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