Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Water and Sediments of the Kor River, Iran

Distribution of the sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was studied in surface water and sediment of Kor River. Liquid-liquid extraction was used for water samples, while PAHs in sediments were extracted using Soxhlet Extraction and finally analyzed by means of gas chromatography. Results showed that in water samples, the highest concentration was related to acenaphthene (3-ring PAH), whereas fluoranthene (4-ring PAH) was the most important pollutant in sediments. In both water and sediment samples, the highest and the lowest mean concentrations of PAHs were observed in autumn and summer, respectively. Ratios of specific PAH compound including Phenantharene/Anthracene and Fluoranthene/Pyrene were calculated to evaluate the possible sources of PAHs contamination. These ratios reflect a pyrolytic origin of PAHs for sediments, as well as a pyrolytic or pyrogenic origin for water samples (with a dominant pyrolytic input) in the study area.