Author(s)

Aniel da Costa Lima¹, Fernanda Fernandes Heleno^2*, Robson José de Cássia Franco Afonso³, Mauricio Xavier Coutrim³

¹Federal Center of Technological Education of Minas Gerais, Curvelo, Brazil.
²Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Vicosa, Vicosa, Brazil.
³Chemistry Departament, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil.

Sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were determined in water samples from the Piracicaba River and the Doce River in the municipality of Ipatinga, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were extracted by solid-phase extraction and were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatographic with diode-array detector. The limit of detection was as low as 1.3 ng·L^-1. All polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were found above the limit of quantification in water from at least four of the eight sampling points. Benzo[a]pyrene and chrysene were found at concentrations up to 80% above the limit set by Brazilian and European environmental legislation (0.05 μg·L^-1). The isomer ratios of the compounds indicated that crude oil and combustion processes were the main sources of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Monitoring, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Water Quality

Lima, A. , Heleno, F. , Afonso, R. and Coutrim, M. (2015) Determination of PAHs in Surface Waters from the Doce and Piracicaba Rivers in Brazil. Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 7, 422-429. doi: 10.4236/jwarp.2015.75034.