Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sediments of the port of Tripoli

Abstract

Organic contaminants management is a growing environmental issue. Such pollutants are introduced to the marine environment through coastal oil refineries, shipping activities and accidental spills. The most common organic contaminants present in marine sediments are: Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The characterization of PAHs in the sediments has not been done yet in Lebanon, which highlights the originality of this project. The main objective of this report is to identify the concentration of PAHs in the sediments of Lebanon- Tripoli port. In order to achieve this aim, pre-sampling, sediment sampling, lyophilization, Soxhlet extraction, rotary evaporation and gas chromatography were performed. The total PAHs concentrations ranged from 2.58 to 149.32 µg/kg. The sediments of the port of Tripoli was found to be mostly contaminated with high molecular weight 5- 6 ring aromatic hydrocarbons, which are highly toxic and carcinogenic. This is potentially due to diesel fuel consumption and incomplete combustion of fossil fuels.