The associations of linear alkyl benzenes with the bulk properties of sediments from the River Mersey Estuary

The concentration distributions of linear alkyl benzenes (LAB) are reported as a function of sediment grain size and organic-carbon and lipid concentration for samples from three sites from the River Mersey Estuary, UK. There is not a simple relationship between contaminant concentration and grain size because the contaminant burden is much more strongly related to the organic-carbon and lipid content. This association between LAB, lipid, and organic carbon can be understood in terms of a simple model in which a proportion of LAB is introduced to the bulk material at source, with the remainder being adsorbed into particle surfaces after discharge. LAB concentrations in the Mersey Estuary are relatively high, and the compounds show evidence of degradation that arises from the high level of bacterial activity within the system.