Investigating Changes in the Concentration and Origin of Hydrocarbon Compounds in the Surface Sediments of the Coastal Strip of the Persian Gulf, in the Authority Area of Bushehr Port

Pollution of aquatic ecosystems with petroleum hydrocarbons is one of the most important issues that have become challenging in recent years. Bushehr port located in Bushehr province in the south of Iran due to its connection with the Persian Gulf and having long beaches is one of the places prone to pollution related to hydrocarbon compounds. In order to investigate the concentration of aromatic compounds in the surface sediments of Bandar Bushehr beach, 27 sediment samples were collected and subjected to GC analysis. The total amount of aromatic compounds in the coastal sediments of Bushehr port fluctuates between 206 and 1463 ng/g. The largest volume of aromatic compounds is concentrated in the northern strip of the Sahel and the middle of the Sahel, and the concentration of the compounds is low in the southern strip of the Sahel. These compounds have pyrogenic and petrogenic origin, although the contribution of petrogenic origin is more. The origin of combustion compounds is the result of sea and land transportation, municipal and domestic sewage and offshore currents carrying petroleum compounds originating from the oil fields of the Persian Gulf. Based on pollution standards, the northern and middle parts of the coastal strip of the Persian Gulf in the area of Bushehr port have a medium pollution load in relation to aromatic compounds, and in the southern parts, the pollution load is low.