Ocean water, nonvolatile hydrocarbons

Brown and Huffman [85] reported an investigation of the concentration and composition of nonvolatile hydrocarbons in Atlantic Ocean and nearby waters. Sea water samples were taken at depths of 1 and 10 m and the nonvolatile hydrocarbons were identified by mass spectrometric techniques. The results show that the nonvolatile hydrocarbons in Atlantic and nearby waters contained aromatics at lower concentrations than would be expected if the source of the hydrocarbons were crude oil or petroleum refinery products. Hydrocarbons appeared to persist in the water to varying degrees, with the most persistent being the cycloparaffins, then isoparaffins, and finally the aromatics. 

Brown RA, Elliott JJ, Searl TD (1974) Measurement and characterisation of nonvolatile hydrocarbons in ocean water. Special publication no. 409. National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC, p 131... 

Sampling and Analysis of Nonvolatile Hydrocarbons in Ocean Water... 

Figure 1. Analytical method for nonvolatile hydrocarbons in ocean water...

Nonvolatile hydrocarbons at the surface (bucket samples) and at 10 m depth are shown in Figures 3 and 4. These data are fairly characteristic of our findings in open ocean water. Surface water shows higher concentrations than that at 10 m. Two of the observed concentrations (195 ppb, 154 ppb) are considerably higher than usually found. Monaghan et al (9) discuss these data in some detail. 

Brown, R.A., Elliott, J.J., Kelliher, J.M. and Searl, T.D., 1975. Sampling and analysis of nonvolatile hydrocarbons in ocean water. In T.R.P. Gibb Jr. (Editor), Analytical Methods in Oceanography. American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., pp. 172— 187. 

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