Occurrence and Assessment of Organic Pollutants Residues in the Aquatic Environment of the Coastal Sediments

Abstract

The current study aimed to monitor organic pollution on island and coastal environments using linear alkylbenzene (LAB). The aquatic environment is affected by the hazardous chemicals discharged through domestic and industrial waste. The distribution, composition, and sources of LABs in the sediments of Port Dickson coast and Pulau Merambong were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Chains ranging from long to short (L/S), C13/C12 homologs, and internal to external (I/E) congeners were used to define the degradation rate of LABs and the efficacy of wastewater treatment plants. The results of this study revealed that the concentration of LABs in the sites under investigation varied from 67.4 in Pulau Merambong to 255.8 ng g−1dw, in Port Dickson. The LAB homologs had a significant difference and a significant percentage of sampling stations had C13-LAB homologs. According to the determined LAB ratios (I/E), which ranged from 1.6 in Pulau Merambong to 4.1 in Port Dickson, treated effluents from primary and secondary inputs are being introduced into the aquatic ecosystem of these areas. The degradation of LABs was up to 64% in the interrogated locations. The conclusion is that the wastewater treatment system needs to be improved, and that LAB molecular markers are highly effective in tracing anthropogenic sewage contamination.