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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
High-Throughput Measurement and Classification of Organic P in Environmental Samples
Published on: June 8, 2011
Sediment organic matter predicts polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon distribution in port sediments
Chih-Feng Chen1, Chiu-Wen Chen1, Frank Paolo Jay B Albarico2
1Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan; Center for the Study of Sediments, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan; Sustainable Environment Research Center, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan.
Abstract:
We evaluated the influence of organic matter in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in port sediments using multiple linear regression (MLR) and prediction models. Total sediment PAHs ranged between 45 and 3230 ng/g dw (average: 557 ± 962 ng/g dw), with PAHs primarily originating from river inputs, confined to areas near the estuaries. Coal/biomaterial combustion and petroleum mainly contribute to the presence of PAHs along estuaries, with medium-high to high ecological risks. MLR TPAHs prediction model included variables, namely, the marine-derived total organic carbon (TOCmar), terrestrial fraction of organic matter (Fterr), and carbon-to‑nitrogen ratio (CNR). Results indicate that mainly marine- followed by terrestrially-derived organic matter influenced sediment PAH distribution. Total organic nitrogen and CNR were variables in the toxic equivalent (TEQ) prediction model, demonstrating that terrestrial pollution sources primarily influenced TEQ. The study analyzes and predicts the impact of organic matter and its sources on the fate and transport of PAHs in port sediments.
