Perylene: an indicator of alteration processes or precursor materials?

Perylene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) that is found pervasively in both marine and freshwater sediments, yet its origin remains obscure. We have explored relationships between perylene and possible precursor materials in two 210Pb-dated sediment cores from Lake Ontario in which contrib...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Organic geochemistry 1998-11, Vol.29 (5), p.1737-1744
Main Authors: Silliman, James E., Meyers, Philip A., Eadie, Brian J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
algal productivity
Applied sciences
Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products
diagenesis
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Energy
Exact sciences and technology
Fuels
Geology and geochemistry. Geological and geochemical prospecting. Petroliferous series
Hydrocarbons
Lake Ontario
lake sediments
Marine and continental quaternary
mass accumulation rate
n-alkanes
PAH
Prospecting and exploration
Prospecting and production of crude oil, natural gas, oil shales and tar sands
Sedimentary rocks
Surficial geology
terrigenous matter
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Perylene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) that is found pervasively in both marine and freshwater sediments, yet its origin remains obscure. We have explored relationships between perylene and possible precursor materials in two 210Pb-dated sediment cores from Lake Ontario in which contributions of aquatic and land-plant organic matter and concentrations of anthropogenic PAHs have been measured. No significant correlations were identified between perylene occurrence and indicators of terrigenous or aquatic sources of organic matter. Distinct differences between perylene and anthropogenic PAH sedimentary profiles rule out an industrial source for perylene at these locations. The general pattern of low-to-absent perylene concentrations in upper, oxic sediments and increasing concentrations with depth indicates that in situ diagenesis under anoxic conditions produces perylene and that its formation is kinetically controlled. The results of our study suggest that perylene is formed from non-specific precursor materials by biotic or abiotic transformation processes. If this scenario accurately describes its formation, then perylene is an indicator of depositional conditions rather than the source of organic matter.
ISSN:0146-6380
1873-5290
DOI:10.1016/S0146-6380(98)00056-4