Distribution and Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediments, Suspended Particulate Matter and Waters from the Siak River System, Estuary and Coastal Area of Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

This study examined the overall distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), particularly the 16 parent PAHs of the US Environmental Protection Agency priority pollutant, as an indicator for anthropogenic pollution, in the surface sediments, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and water solution of the peatland aquatic system of Siak river system, its estuary and the Riau coast, Sumatra, Indonesia from 2004 - 2006. The results show that PAHs significantly impact the Siak aquatic systems. Source apportionment indicated intense signatures of pyrogenic sources, particularly biomass burnings and petroleum combustion. It might be evidence of the effects of widespread, long-term and intense agricultural burnings coupled with multitudinous forest/peat swamp fires. In such burning-affected estuaries and coastal waters, distribution of PAH between the size-fraction in sediments showed distinctive patterns to those of other non-peatland areas. Comparison of distribution of PAH in the size-sediment fractions was obtained from non-peatland areas of the Wenchang and Wanquan coastal estuaries of Hainan China.