39 Environmental Geoscience

Saturday, 29 March 2003
1:40 PM - 5:00 PM

FINGERPRINTING OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS FROM THE RECENT SEDIMENTS OF THE HALIFAX HARBOUR, LAKE ONTARIO, AND NEW YORK BIGHT: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Paper number: 39-2
Program: ORAL AND POSTER GENERAL SESSIONS
Time: 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM

Authors

Abstract

The organic components of recent sediments (0-20cm) from three selected areas (two marine sediments: Halifax Harbour and New York Bight and one lacustrine sediment: Lake Ontario) have been fingerprinted using organic petrological and organic geochemical analytical techniques. These data documents both the natural and anthropogenic organic sediments that have been deposited during the last 100 to 150 years.

The natural components include algal and exinitic/humic components whereas the four distinct types of anthropogenic components could be detected. The pollutants include: (a) amorphous organic matter formed due to sewage discharge; (b) coal and coal-combustion products originated as airborne and discharge materials from the ships and power plants; (c) petroleum related components originated from the discharge from the ships, refineries, and chemical factories; and (d) various forms of plastics originated from various sources.

The comprehensive fingerprinting of both natural and organic pollutants from these three specific areas suggest that both Halifax Harbour and New York Bight contain abundant organic pollutants (including normal alkanes, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, hopanes, tricyclic terpane compounds) possibly derived from the petroleum spills and sewage discharge; the coal combustion products are minor components. On the other hand, coal/coal combustion products and the sewage-derived amorphous organic matter are major pollutants in Lake Ontario. This data clearly demonstrates the origin of various organic carbons (natural and anthropogenic components) in recent sediments.