School of Chemistry and Physics, Pietermaritzburg Campus, 3209,
South Africa
Research Article
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Water, Soils and Surface Sediments of the Msunduzi River
Author(s): Alexis Munyengabe, Allen Mambanda and Brenda MoodleyAlexis Munyengabe, Allen Mambanda and Brenda Moodley
The concentration of seven Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) (namely Naphthalene, Acenaphthylene, Fluorene, Phenanthrene, Anthracene, Pyrene and Chrysene) were determined in 28 surface waters, 8 wastewaters, 26 soils and 26 surface sediments from the Msunduzi River, a major supply of portable water in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa. Water samples were extracted using a conventional liquid-liquid extraction technique into Dichloromethane (DCM) while soils and surface sediments were extracted with an equal mixture of DCM and nhexane using the Soxhlet extraction technique. Purified extracts were analysed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Trace levels of PAHs were detected in some water, river bank soils and surface sediments. The concentration of PAHs was found to be comparatively higher in the soils and surface sediments than in the water. The concentrat.. Read More»
DOI:
10.4172/2380-2391.1000227
Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry received 1781 citations as per Google Scholar report