Seasonal variations in the distribution of aliphatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments from the Selangor River, Peninsular Malaysia's West Coast

• Main Authors: Magam, Sami M., Masood, Najat, Alkhadher, Sadeq A. A., Alanazi, Tahani Y. A., Zakaria, Mohamad Pauzi, Sidek, Lariyah Mohd, Suratman, Suhaimi, Alrabie, Nabeel Abdullah
• Format: Article
• Published: Springer 2024
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/105659/; https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85182392575&doi=10.1007%2fs10653-023-01828-w&partnerID=40&md5=d6b9ff7af6f54f4d710743cbbe0713a2

The seasonal variation of petroleum pollution including n-alkanes in surface sediments of the Selangor River in Malaysia during all four climatic seasons was investigated using GC–MS. The concentrations of n-alkanes in the sediment samples did not significantly correlate with TOC (r = 0.34, p > 0.05). The concentrations of the 29 n-alkanes in the Selangor River ranged from 967 to 3711 µg g-1 dw, with higher concentrations detected during the dry season. The overall mean per cent of grain-sized particles in the Selangor River was 85.9 ± 2.85 sand, 13.5 ± 2.8 clay, and 0.59 ± 0.34 gravel, respectively. n-alkanes are derived from a variety of sources, including fresh oil, terrestrial plants, and heavy/degraded oil in estuaries. The results of this study highlight concerns and serve as a warning that hydrocarbon contamination is affecting human health. As a result, constant monitoring and assessment of aliphatic hydrocarbons in coastal and riverine environments are needed. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.