Origin and analysis of aliphatic and cyclic hydrocarbons in northeast United Kingdom coastal marine sediments

Sediment samples from multiple sites in the North Sea Coast of England were solvent extracted and analysed by a quadruple gas chromatograph equipped with a mass spectrometer detector in order to determine the concentration and distribution of aliphatic and alicyclic n-alkanes. Results indicate that most of the organic species present in the sediment samples consisted of anthropogenically derived long chain aliphatic and alicyclic n-alkanes (nC10–15, 17, 19–21, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 33, 35, 36, 43), n-alkanols, n-alkanals, n-alkanones, esters as well as many volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Chemical composition of samples and relative concentration were found to vary both spatially and temporally on all scales. These variations are mainly attributable to spatial and temporal variations in source but also parameters such as rainfall, turbulence and micro-organism activity also account for the observed trends.