Aliphatic hydrocarbons and triterpane biomarkers in mangrove oyster ( Crassostrea belcheri ) from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2017
Abstract
The Straits of Malacca is one of the world's busiest shipping routes where frequent oil spills occur. Rapid development in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia is the other major source of petroleum pollution in this narrow waterway. In order to identify occurrence and origin of hydrocarbons in the Straits, mangrove oysters (Crassostrea belcheri) were collected from five sampling locations and analysed for n-alkanes and biomarkers. Soxhlet apparatus and two step column chromatography were used for extraction, purification and fractionation of the oysters. Petroleum origin n-alkanes were detected in majority of the sampling locations which is indicative of anthropogenic activities in this region. Using source and maturity diagnostic ratios for hopanes revealed used crankcase oil as the main source of petroleum hydrocarbons in oysters from all sampling locations except for the Pulau Merambong where signature of South East Asia crude oil (SEACO) was detected.
Keywords
n-Alkane, Hopane, Petroleum, Pollution, Oyster, Malaysia
Divisions
InstituteofBiologicalSciences,ocean
Funders
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Asian Core Project on Straits of Malacca funded by the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia, through Universiti Putra Malaysia (Project No. 6379005 ) and HICoE-MOHE Grant IOES-2014
Publication Title
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume
124
Issue
1
Publisher
Elsevier