Significance of GC/FT-IR and GC/MS in recognizing the sources of organic materials from sediments along the Suez Gulf Shoreline, Egypt

Significance of GC/FT-IR and GC/MS in recognizing the sources of organicmaterials from sediments along the Suez Gulf Shoreline, Egypt

Abedel Aziz Elfadlya, Omayma E. Ahmeda, and Mohamed M. El Nadyb aEvaluation and analytical Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt; bExploration Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt

ABSTRACT

The present work aims to using the application of GC, GC/MS, UV, and FT/IR spectroscopy organicmatters extracted fromsedimentary hydrocarbons from six coastal stations located in the Gulf of Suez and proposed to evaluate hydrocarbons in the sediments. The results the origins of hydrocarbons are multiple sources from terrestrial inputs, biogenic, and pyrolytic. Abundance of vascular plant n C23– n C33 alkaneswith a high odd-to-even predominance, pristane, and phytane beside nC29/nC17 ratios and the presence of biogenic hopanes indicate the predominance of biogenic in combination with petrogenic hydrocarbons.FT-IR spectroscopic analysis indicates high concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons as well as mono- and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons are useful tool in organic geochemistry studies. UV analysis for organic matters incorporated in sediments reveals that oil pollutants have considerable amounts of aromatic compounds.