The features of organic constituents in lake sediments from Syowa Oasis in East Antarctica

Summary

The contents of TOC, EOC, TN, hydrocarbons, fatty acids and phenolic acids varied extensively among the sampling locations. The major hydrocarbons were mainly odd-carbon numbered n-alkanes ranging from C₁₅ to C₃₀ and isoprenoid C₁₆, C₁₈, C₁₉ and C₂₀ alkanes. The major fatty acids comprised of C₁₄, C₁₈, uC₁₆, C₁₈, uC₁₈, C₂₄ and C₂₆ acids. The presence of higher molecular weight n-alkalonic acids with higher proportion indicated the occurrence of their sources other than vascular plants. It was indicated that the dominance of p-hydroxybenzoic acid among the phenolic acids found along with the absence of syringic, p-coumaric, ferulic and protocatechuic acids in lake sediments reflected the absence of vascular plants in the studied areas.