Abstract
Shallow surface sediment samples from the Mesopotamian marshlands of Iraq were collected and analyzed to determine the distribution, concentrations and sources of aliphatic lipid compounds (n-alkanes, n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, and methyl n-alkanoates) and molecular markers of petroleum in these wetlands. The sediments were collected using a stainless steel sediment corer, dried, extracted with a dichloromethane/methanol mixture and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The aliphatic lipid compounds included n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkanols and methyl n-alkanoates with concentrations ranged from 6.8 to 31.1 μg/g, 4.1 to 5.0 μg/g, 5.9 to 7.7 μg/g and from 0.3 to 5.9 μg/g, respectively. The major sources of aliphatic lipids were natural from waxes of higher plants (24–30%) and microbial residues (42–30%), with a significant contribution from anthropogenic sources (27–30%, petroleum), based on the organic geochemical parameters and indices. Further studies are needed to characterize the rate, accumulation and transformation of various organic matter sources before and after re-flooding of these wetlands.
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Acknowledgement
The authors would like to extend their gratitude to Dr. Azzam Al-Wash, Project Director, Eden Again Project, for his support and encouragement.
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Rushdi, A.I., DouAbul, A.A., Mohammed, S.S. et al. Compositions and sources of extractable organic matter in Mesopotamian marshland surface sediments of Iraq. I: aliphatic lipids. Environ Geol 50, 857–866 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0257-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0257-6