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Environmental Degradation of Polluting Aromatic and Aliphatic Hydrocarbons: A Case Study
Author(s) -
Osuji Leo C.,
Ozioma Achugasim
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
chemistry and biodiversity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1612-1880
pISSN - 1612-1872
DOI - 10.1002/cbdv.200790034
Subject(s) - phytane , pristane , chemistry , anthracene , pyrene , environmental chemistry , hydrocarbon , polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon , gas chromatography , degradation (telecommunications) , organic chemistry , chromatography , telecommunications , computer science
Oil extracts of Ukpeliede spill samples from Niger Delta (Nigeria) were analyzed by gas chromatography. The amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), especially the lower‐molecular‐weight naphthene, fluorine, phenathrene, pyrene, and benzo[ a ]anthracene, decreased within the sampling intervals of 2 months and 5 months. There was a predominance of three‐to‐six‐ring PAHs over the two‐ring PAHs. There was marked disappearance of n‐ C 8 to n‐ C 11 hydrocarbon fractions and the acyclic isoprenoids (pristane and phytane). The depletion of these molecules within the two sampling intervals suggests the possible attenuation of hydrocarbons as a result of the environmental modification within the set interval.