Presence of squalane in urban aquatic environments

Ethyl acetate extracts of river waters and sediments, night-soil and sewage treatment plant effluents and sludges from the Tokyo area were analysed for squalane using combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after separation by silica gel column chromatography. Squalane was identified in all the samples studied and the concentration in river waters and sediments ranged from 0.46 to 1.7 micrograms/l and from 0.86 to 15 micrograms per g dry sediment, respectively. Squalane is presumably derived from artificial materials rather than from natural sources, with the exception of fossil fuel products.