Carbon isotopic composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their weathering in Kachemak Bay sediment
Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2004 Identification of sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sediments is an important step in reducing anthropogenic contamination. Identifications based solely on the composition of PAH can be confounded by compositional changes during w...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Thesis |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2004
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11122/6203 |
id |
ftunivalaska:oai:scholarworks.alaska.edu:11122/6203 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivalaska:oai:scholarworks.alaska.edu:11122/6203 2023-05-15T16:57:46+02:00 Carbon isotopic composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their weathering in Kachemak Bay sediment Borland, Tara Ann 2004-05 http://hdl.handle.net/11122/6203 en_US eng http://hdl.handle.net/11122/6203 Marine Science and Limnology Thesis ms 2004 ftunivalaska 2023-02-23T21:36:35Z Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2004 Identification of sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sediments is an important step in reducing anthropogenic contamination. Identifications based solely on the composition of PAH can be confounded by compositional changes during weathering and biodegradation. Stable isotopic composition of individual PAH offer a source marker that may be less susceptible to alteration. The [alpha]¹³C values of PAH in major potential sources to the Kachemak Bay area were analyzed. To determine the stability of the [alpha]¹³C values of PAH in crude and diesel oil, microbial degradation experiments using sediment from the Kachemak Bay, Alaska, area were conducted over a one-year period. The impact of weathering on the isotopic composition of North Slope crude oil and diesel oil was also examined over a five-week period in aquaria with Macoma balthica, an intertidal bivalve. For both degradation experiments, PAH concentrations decreased and their composition changed, but the [alpha]¹³C values of individual PAHs remained stable. Hence, [alpha]¹³C values of individual PAHs have excellent potential as a relatively stable indicator of their sources. Based on isotopic and compositional data, the PAH in Kachemak Bay sediments appear to have several sources. Thesis Kachemak north slope Alaska University of Alaska: ScholarWorks@UA Fairbanks |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Alaska: ScholarWorks@UA |
op_collection_id |
ftunivalaska |
language |
English |
description |
Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2004 Identification of sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sediments is an important step in reducing anthropogenic contamination. Identifications based solely on the composition of PAH can be confounded by compositional changes during weathering and biodegradation. Stable isotopic composition of individual PAH offer a source marker that may be less susceptible to alteration. The [alpha]¹³C values of PAH in major potential sources to the Kachemak Bay area were analyzed. To determine the stability of the [alpha]¹³C values of PAH in crude and diesel oil, microbial degradation experiments using sediment from the Kachemak Bay, Alaska, area were conducted over a one-year period. The impact of weathering on the isotopic composition of North Slope crude oil and diesel oil was also examined over a five-week period in aquaria with Macoma balthica, an intertidal bivalve. For both degradation experiments, PAH concentrations decreased and their composition changed, but the [alpha]¹³C values of individual PAHs remained stable. Hence, [alpha]¹³C values of individual PAHs have excellent potential as a relatively stable indicator of their sources. Based on isotopic and compositional data, the PAH in Kachemak Bay sediments appear to have several sources. |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Borland, Tara Ann |
spellingShingle |
Borland, Tara Ann Carbon isotopic composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their weathering in Kachemak Bay sediment |
author_facet |
Borland, Tara Ann |
author_sort |
Borland, Tara Ann |
title |
Carbon isotopic composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their weathering in Kachemak Bay sediment |
title_short |
Carbon isotopic composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their weathering in Kachemak Bay sediment |
title_full |
Carbon isotopic composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their weathering in Kachemak Bay sediment |
title_fullStr |
Carbon isotopic composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their weathering in Kachemak Bay sediment |
title_full_unstemmed |
Carbon isotopic composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their weathering in Kachemak Bay sediment |
title_sort |
carbon isotopic composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their weathering in kachemak bay sediment |
publishDate |
2004 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/6203 |
geographic |
Fairbanks |
geographic_facet |
Fairbanks |
genre |
Kachemak north slope Alaska |
genre_facet |
Kachemak north slope Alaska |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/6203 Marine Science and Limnology |
_version_ |
1766049396784365568 |