Applications of biological markers in assessing the organic richness of the surface sediments of Suez Gulf, Egypt

ABSTRACT

The semienclosed Suez Gulf records various signals of high anthropic pressures from surrounding regions and the industrialized Suez countries. The sedimentary hydrocarbons have been studied in six coastal stations located in the Gulf of Suez. Nonaromatic hydrocarbons were analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS to assess organic content in surface sediments of Suez Gulf, Egypt, depending on alkane, terpane, and sterane biological marker indicators. The results showed that the hydrocarbons are originated from multiple terrestrial inputs, biogenic and pyrolytic. Several ratios hydrocarbons indicated the predominance of petrogenic in combination with biogenic hydrocarbons.

KEYWORDS:

• Egypt
• n-alkanes
• sediment
• steranes
• Suez Gulf
• triterpenes