| Description: |
In this study, we examined the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a contaminated coastal area and the characteristics of the natural organic matter in tandem. We present a detailed study of PAH concentration, distribution, and organic matter charac-teristics of three core samples from Pensacola Bay, Florida. Solid-state 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), pyrolysis gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) thermochemolysis GC-MS were applied to obtain structural details about the sedimentary organic matter. Elemental compositions (carbon and nitrogen) and estimates of black carbon contents are also reported. These coastal sediments were found to contain more PAHs in the upper 15 cm layers than in the bottom 15– 25 cm samples. The samples that contained the most PAHs also contained the least amount of aromatic carbon and contained a significant amount of paraffinic carbon. Lignin-derivedComparison of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon distributions and sedimentary organic matter characteristics in contaminated, coastal sediments from |