Peng Xianzhi, Zhang Gan, Mai Bixian, Hu Jianfang, Li Kechang, Wang Zhendi
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2005 Aug;50(8):856-65. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.02.031.
5beta-Coprostanol together with eight other sterols and unresolved complex mixtures (UCMs) were quantitatively investigated for surficial sediments and surface waters to assess the impacts of anthropogenic activities on the Pearl River estuarine and marine environment of South China Sea. The studied area extends from the Pearl River Estuary southward to the open sea. 5beta-Coprostanol concentrations ranged from trace amounts to 53 microgg(-1) TOC in surficial sediments. The highest levels and highest percentages of coprostanol were found in the Pearl River estuary, especially in the inner estuary and those sites close to the submarine outfalls of Hong Kong. For waters, only in estuarine samples was coprostanol quantitatively detected, ranging from 11 to 299 ngL(-1). Bimodal UCM "humps" were observed for most sediment samples, with concentrations ranging from 215 to 10,491 microg g(-1) TOC in sediments and from 2 to 26 mcirogL(-1) in waters, respectively. Progressive seaward declines in concentrations were found for both 5beta-coprostanol and UCM in surficial sediments. Trace or no 5beta-coprostanol was found in open-sea samples. Concentrations of coprostanol and UCM in surficial sediments are correlated. These results imply that there are obvious anthropogenic contaminations in the Pearl River estuary. The submarine outfalls in Hong Kong represent important sources of the sewage pollution to the Pearl River estuarine sediments evidenced by a combination of coprostanol concentration, diagnostic indices, sterol profiles and UCM. No obvious dispersion or transport of the sewage contamination occurred from the Pearl River estuary to the open South China Sea indicated by fecal sterol biomarkers.
对珠江口及南海近岸海域表层沉积物和地表水进行定量研究，测定了5β-粪甾烷醇以及其他8种甾醇和未解析复杂混合物（UCMs），以评估人为活动对珠江口及南海海洋环境的影响。研究区域从珠江口向南延伸至公海。表层沉积物中5β-粪甾烷醇浓度范围为痕量至53 μg g⁻¹ TOC。粪甾烷醇含量最高值及最高占比出现在珠江口，特别是内河口以及靠近香港海底排污口的区域。对于水体，仅在河口样品中定量检测到粪甾烷醇，范围为11至299 ng L⁻¹。大多数沉积物样品中观察到双峰UCM“峰”，沉积物中浓度范围为215至10491 μg g⁻¹ TOC，水体中为2至26 μg L⁻¹。表层沉积物中5β-粪甾烷醇和UCM浓度均呈现向海逐渐降低的趋势。公海样品中未检测到或仅检测到痕量5β-粪甾烷醇。表层沉积物中粪甾烷醇和UCM浓度具有相关性。这些结果表明珠江口存在明显的人为污染。结合粪甾烷醇浓度、诊断指标、甾醇谱和UCM来看，香港的海底排污口是珠江口沉积物污水污染的重要来源。粪便甾醇生物标志物表明，珠江口的污水污染未明显扩散或输送至南海公海区域。
