Back to Home
Marie-Alexandrine Sicre2 , Vincent Klein2 , Agnes WN Muthumbi1
1. University of Nairobi, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya, 2. Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat: Expérimentations et Approches Numériques (L’OCEAN), Sorbonne University, Campus Pierre et Marie Curie 4 place- Jussieu,75252 Paris Cedex 05, France.
Poly-Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in the sediments from Mwache Mangrove wetland in Port Reitz creek in the Kenyan coast. Total parent PAHs concentrations ranged from 7.19 to 99.02 ng g-1 . Alkylated PAHs, mostly methyl and dimethyl phenanthrene, were detected in sediments with concentration ranging from 1.06 to 5.56 ng g-1 . Highest PAHs levels were observed at station 1 and station 2 and station 11. The High Molecular Weight (HMW) PAHs were dominant when compared to Low Molecular Weight (LMW). Diagnostic parent PAH ratios, FL/(FL/PY), Ph/(Ph+Anth) and In(1,2,3- c,d)py/[In(1,2,3- c,d)+ Bz(ghi)per] were used for PAHs source identification. Pyrolytic PAH source was observed as dominant while one station (S2) indicated petrogenic source whereas the alkylated PAHs indicated a petrogenic PAHs source. The PAH distribution showcased the influence of proximity of Kilindini harbor, the highly populated city of Mombasa and nearby amenities like the airport and high traffic routes as sources of PAHs into the Mangrove wetland.