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High Concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Found in Water and Sediments of Car Wash and Kisat Areas of Winam Gulf, Lake Victoria-Kenya

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Abstract

Mean concentrations of selected USEPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments and water samples from Car Wash and Kisat areas of Winam Gulf, Lake Victoria in Kenya have been determined using GC-FID and GC-MS. Sampling was done during the rainy season in April 2006. The PAH concentrations in sediment and water ranged from 0.04 to 31.95 μg/g dry weight and 3.32 to 55.8 μg/L, respectively, depending upon the sampling location. The total concentration levels of PAHs in both the sediment and water phase in this study were found to be much higher compared with those reported from other regions worldwide, revealing significant PAH pollution of Car Wash and Kisat areas of Kisumu city bay as a consequent of anthropogenic activities as described in the text. The GC-detected PAHs were confirmed by GC-MS.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Department of Chemistry, Maseno University in Kenya. We acknowledge Prof Dr. K.-W. Schramm, Helmholtz Zentrum, Munich for PAH standards and the Department of Physical Sciences, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology-Kenya, for assistance during laboratory analysis.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, Maseno University, P.O. Box 333, Maseno, Kenya

    B. O. Kwach & J. O. Lalah

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  1. B. O. Kwach
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  2. J. O. Lalah
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Correspondence to J. O. Lalah.

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Kwach, B.O., Lalah, J.O. High Concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Found in Water and Sediments of Car Wash and Kisat Areas of Winam Gulf, Lake Victoria-Kenya. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 83, 727–733 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9859-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9859-5

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