Some Organophosphorous Pesticides and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons along the Eastern Caspian Sea Coast, Mazandaran State, Iran PDF

Keywords

Pollution, Sediment, Gas chromatography.

Abstract

Surface sediment samples collected from twenty-five sites (Amirabad(10),Sari(5), Babolsar(5) and Noushahr(5) of Caspian Sea coast of Mazandaran province were determined for 8 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by GC-MS method. In this study the concentrations and some main sources of PAHs in southern Caspian Sea coast sediments were determined. We analyzed 8 PAHs such as Benz[a]anthracene, Benz[a]pyrene, Fluoranthene, pyrene, Chrysene, Benz[e]pyrene, Benz[k] Fluoranthene and Benzo [ghi] perylene in this research. There was high spatial variability in the PAH concentrations that ranged from 12 to 453ng/g. Result of this study showed that Concentrations of all PAHs except Pyr, B (a) A and B (a) P in Amirabad are below the concentration to elicit toxic effects in benthic organisms (Effects Range-Low). To elucidate sources, two molecular indices (Pyr/Fluo, BaA/ (BaA+Chr) ratios were used to determine the pyrogenic and petrogenic sources. Amirabad-Behshahr region receives input primarily from oil activity; therefore, it can be inferred that the main source of PAH could be petrogenic (Pyr/Fluo =1.07). The PAH source in Sari is pyrogenic for Neka power plant that uses fossil fuels (BaA/BaA+Chr) =0.38). Water samples were collected from 20 wells (twenty locations in different parts of mazandaran Province) during a period of 1 year. The average Concentrations of diazinon,chlorpyrfos, ethion and edifenphos in the ground waters were 0.018, 0.017, 0.014and 0.013 μg/l, respectively . This study describes the seasonal distribution of Organophosphorus pesticides in ground waters of the eastern side of Mazandaran province (Sari-Goharbaran) in north of Iran.