Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Tripuí River, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil

This paper reports the determination of 15 EPA-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and benzo[e]pyrene in water samples collected in Tripuí River, Ouro Preto City, MG, Brazil. Samples were collected between September 2006 (dry season) and November 2006 (wet season) in the neighborhood of an aluminum smelter. Detection limits and quantification limits were sufficiently low to accomplish PAH determination below the maximum concentration levels established by the Brazilian and USEPA legislations. Recoveries from water spiked samples were always larger than 89%. Fluoranthene, pyrene, phenanthrene, chrysene and benzo[b]fluoranthene predominated in the studied samples. The concentrations of PAHs upstream the aluminum smelter were systematically lower than those found downstream indicating a possible role of the smelter in the local pollution by PAHs. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis also showed remarkable differences of the characteristics of samples collected upstream and downstream the aluminum smelter and also of samples from wet and dry seasons.