Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments of water reservoirs (middle Volga region, Russia)

Abstract

Bottom sediments from the Kuibyshev and Cheboksary reservoirs were sampled and the content of anthracene, acetonaphthylene, acenaphthene, benz (a) pyrene, benz (b) fluoranthene, benzo (k) fluoranthene, benz (g, h, i) perylene, dibenz (a, h) anthracene, pyrene, fluorene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, chrysene was analyzed. The level of the total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) content in the bottom sediments of the Cheboksary and Kuibyshev reservoirs was lower in comparison with the standards adopted in foreign countries. A tendency of increasing the PAHs content from the upper to the lower parts of the reservoirs, in the area of the Kama river mouth and the upper reach of the Samara hydroelectric power plant, was noted. PAHs with three benzene rings prevailed in the bottom sediments of the Cheboksary reservoir, and two and five benzene rings - in the Kuibyshev reservoir.