Open AccessSource Identification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Water at Point of Effluent Discharge into the New Calabar River, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Author(s) -
Onisogen Simeon Edori,
William Azuka Iyama
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of environment and climate change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2581-8627
DOI - 10.9734/ijecc/2019/v9i630119
Subject(s) - fluoranthene , chrysene , anthracene , pyrene , phenanthrene , environmental chemistry , effluent , port harcourt , chemistry , polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon , environmental science , environmental engineering , organic chemistry , socioeconomics , sociology
Water samples from effluents discharge points were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentration using chromatographic techniques. The result obtained showed the presence of all the PAHs categories in the water samples. The total concentrations of PAHs in the different location showed that Minipiti station was the highest (44.99 mg/L), which was followed by the values obtained at the Police Post station (36.89 mg/L) and finally, the lowest value was obtained at the Iwofe Jetty station (11.923 mg/L). Diagnostic analysis of the concentrations of the different PAHS concentrations based on the ratio of low molecular weight PAHs to high molecular weight PAHs (LMW/HMW), anthracene / anthracene + phenanthrene {An/(An + Phe)} fluoranthene/ fluoranthene + pyrene {Fl /(Fl + Pyr} and benzo[a] anthracene/ benzo[a]anthracene + chrysene {BaA/ (BaA + Chr)} showed the predominance of pyrogenic PAHs over petrogenic PAHs. Thus indicating more of human input sources than natural. Ring size analysis indicated the predominance of the higher molecular weights (4-6) rings over the lower molecular weights (2-3) rings. The implications of the high level of PAHs within the sampled environment should give warning signals to the user of the water environment’.