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Biogenic and Anthropogenic Lipid Markers in Sediments from a Marsh Habitat Associated with the LCP Chemicals Superfund Site in Brunswick, Georgia, USA

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Abstract

Sediment samples from a salt marsh habitat in the vicinity of Linden Chemical Plant (LCP) Superfund site in Brunswick Georgia, USA, were analyzed for the composition of total solvent extracts and sources of lipid compounds. Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis infer past multiple sources of organic matter (OM) from aquatic and terrestrial origin, e.g., phytoplankton, bacteria, and land plants, as well as anthropogenic contamination. The n-alkane and n-alkanol distributions in the sediment samples were dominated by long-chain homologues maximizing at C25–C27 for alkanes (carbon preference index (CPI) ∼1) and C32 for n-alkanols indicating inputs from higher plants, but also microbial and petroleum-related sources. Fatty acid distribution was characterized by short-chain (< C18) and branched homologues indicative of bacterial origin. The high abundance of dehydroabietic acid and anthropogenic contaminants, including alkylphenols, are indicative of the effects of past industrial activities in the LCP marsh area in Brunswick, Georgia.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the support of SREL, Georgia University and the Fulbright fellowship of DSc Irena Atanassova.

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  1. N. Poushkarov Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection, 7 Shosse Bankya Str., Sofia, 1080, Bulgaria

    Irena Atanassova

  2. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA

    Irena Atanassova & Gary Mills

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  1. Irena Atanassova
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Correspondence to Irena Atanassova.

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Atanassova, I., Mills, G. Biogenic and Anthropogenic Lipid Markers in Sediments from a Marsh Habitat Associated with the LCP Chemicals Superfund Site in Brunswick, Georgia, USA. Water Air Soil Pollut 227, 40 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2740-8

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