Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences October 2010 [antikvár]

Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, October 2010, Vol. 5, No. 2, p. 5 - 8 DISTRIBUTION OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON CONCENTRATIONS IN COASTAL SEDIMENTS ALONG TAMILNADU COAST, INDIA Subramanian VEERASINGAM', Pitchaikkaran RAJA^*, Ramdoss VENK:ATACHALAPATHY^ Rajarethinam MOHAN' & Palanivel SUTHARSAN' 'Department of Physics, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar - 60S 002, Tamilnadu, India, [email protected] Centre of Advanced study in Marine Biology, Faculty ofMarine Science, Annamalai University, Parangipettai - 608 502, Tamilnadu, India. Abstract: The distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons along the coastal surface sediments of six stations between Pondicherry and Nagapattinam, Bay of Bengal, India were made during 2008. The Petroleum Hydrocarbon Concentrations (PHc) were in the range 1.48 to 4.23 ppm. The PHc in Bay of Bengal is comparatively lower than in the Arabian Sea. The petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations are high in clay rich sediments than sand. The study revealed that the PHc values of Tamilnadu coastal sediments are much lower than the values reported from selected costal areas including the sediment of the Indian coast. Keywords: Petroleum hydrocarbons, Coastal sediments, Tamilnadu coast, Bay of Bengal, India 1. INTRODUCTION Information on the distribution of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Concentrations in the coastal environment is necessary to determine the extent of oil pollution input in to the oceans. Limited information is available with regard to Petroleum Hydrocarbons concentration along the Indian coast. Prevention of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination is extremely important, as it is one of the world's worst kinds of oceanic pollutions, because of its randomness, toxicity, large pollutant area and long persistence in the environment. Pollution of the sea by petroleum hydrocarbons occurs mainly through marine operations, land based discharges, and atmospheric and natural inputs (GESAMP, 1993; Laws, 2000). The total input of petroleum to the oceans through man's activities and sources such as atmospheric fallout, natural seepage, etc, is estimated at 2.37 x lOV' (Kennish, 1997). Out of these, about 65.2% is discharged through municipal and industrial waters, urban and river runoffs, oceanic dumping and atmospheric fallout; 26.2% derives from discharges during transportation, dry docking, tanker accidents, de-blasting, etc, and remaining 85% comes from fixed installations like coastal refineries, off shore production facilities, marine terminals, etc (GESAMP, 1993). Dumitran & Onu^ (2010) developed an environmental risk management model for crude oil soil pollution. Studies on hydrocarbons in the aquatic environment can be used on the analysis of the water column, organisms and sediments. However, sedimentary hydrocarbons have received special attention because these compounds are readily adsorbed onto particulate matter, and bottom sediments ultimately act as a reservoir of hydrophobic contaminants. Sediments are composite materials consisting of inorganic components, mineral particulates and organic matter in various stages of decomposition. It is well known that they are sensitive indicators between natural and anthropogenic variables. The aim of the present study is to study the distribution features of petroleum hydrocarbon in coastal sediment and obtain scientific results for application to the prevention and control of petroleum hydrocarbon pollution. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.L The Study Area Tamitoadu is the southern most state on the east coast of India with a coastline of ~ 1000km. This coast has extensive areas of estuaries, mangroves, brackish water lagoons all of which are connected to the Bay of Bengal as various locations along the east